Steve Martin Cured My Twitter Addiction

Social Media 30 Day Experiment

I started this blog regarding Social Media and doing a 30 Day Experiment to uncover the uses of this thing called Social Media.  Started on August 3, 2010.
I have gone over my 30 days now, and coming up to almost 60 days.
Why have I not blogged and updated regularly?
Because - I HAVE NO TIME TO BLOG. Twitter, Facebook, DIGG. FourSquare, LinkedIN, YouTube, and following all the web links in each, responding to each post HAS OVERTAKEN MY LIFE!

This experiment was to uncover the how and why of Social Media for the 'average person'.
Not for Social Media Marketers or for Business - but why does Joe or Mary Everyday person want to get involved with Social Media? What do they follow when they do? Does it enhance their life?

I was already using several Social Media applications - Facebook, LinkedIN and Blogging. I had tried Twitter previously, but found it of little value at that time, and left it. I decided to give Twitter another try,  and really learn how to use it, as well as associated applications, as well as use Facebook for other activities than just family connections and viewing photo of high school friends. My plan was to find the good in all this Social Media hype, and be able to promote to family and friends.

Twitter is Evil

Yes, I said it - Twitter is Evil.

I began by finding people to follow by using the search tool within Twitter. I searched for personal interests and Social Media.

I have many interests:

Social Media
Cooking
Motorcycles
Cars
Kitchener - local city
Waterloo Region Election
Fibromyalgia
Weight Loss
Children - Mommy Blogs led me to their Twitter feeds
Writing
Book Reviews

This led me to follow other people that  and find other topics:

QR Codes
Cloud Computing
Web 2.0
Semantic Web
Work from Home
Happiness

I read hundreds and possibly thousands of tweets, posts, and websites with up to the minute information, joined tweetchats, tweetups, twitups, SM Meetups, LIKED business Facebook Fan Pages, commented and became completely engrossed in Social Media. Books were purchased from every Social Media Marketer and Expert - downloaded and hard-copies delivered to my door, so I could absorb as much as possible, as quickly as possible.

I even had to stop my life to connect to online tweetchat regarding breaking news on - #NEWTWITTER.
   I was as excited as .. I am not sure, but it was exciting!

I slept little.

I gathered followers - 500 on Twitter - and following 600 and their connections.
Facebook Fan Pages began to overtake my News Feed. 

I slept less.

I  became both addicted and overloaded!  Or as one person tweeted:

The information is giving me a raging brainer!

AND THEN CAME STEVE MARTIN TO TWITTER:

@SteveMartinToGo  started on Sept 10, 2010
From the beginning his tweets were humourous, and he has been one of my favorite comedians since the 1970s - yes I am that old and Steve Martin is 10 years older - at least!


I began noticing his tweets, and then started reviewing at the end of each day
- as getting the entire story was more amusing.

I laughed!! 

Out Loud!!

Sample Steve Martin Tweets - minus tweets by the  monkeys he hired, and other silliness.

He is poking fun at Twitter and how we can become addicted  - obsessing over how many followers, how our book deal is rated, and information itself. I am not sure he has any interactions with any of his followers, or just as running Twitter  background comedy routine.
This background noise - I began to notice.
I started paying attention more to his tweets than others with Social Media best practices and other ground breaking technology news.

I laughed.

I slept.

I began to clean up my lists, and followers and who following, and Facebook and email choked with notifications and links and and...

REASSESSMENT

Yes there is good to be found in  Social Media,
BUT  - to those that are like me and information hogs - BEWARE!


Tomorrow  - I will be back with Pros & Cons of Social Media and how to remain in control.
There are definitely benefits.

More to come, but back to Steve Martin:

 Laugh. Sleep.

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@darleenw