The Method of Madness

There’s something about social media that irritates me.

Is it really always on?

Perhaps what I mean can best be illustrated with this example: my boyfriend gets mad at me if I don’t answer my cell phone. He will call once, twice, as many times until I pick up with an exasperated “What?”, to which he replies with an equally exasperated “Hello?” My point is that because I have a cell phone, he felt I should be available at all times. Several harsh words and a stern tone later, my boyfriend now understands that just because I’m mobile doesn’t mean I’m available all the time. Do people realize this with social media?

The Internet world is all about speed, and indeed, when a customer makes a complaint online you want to address it with due course and quickness. But does this mean you need to have someone stalking the corporate Twitter feed at 3 AM? I don’t think so. The other facet to social media is that it’s all about relationships, about people – and people don’t operate 24 hours a day. We all need a breather and a moment to step away to gather our energy.

While our mobility – meaning iPhones, Blackberries, etc – have enabled us to access social media on the go, I believe that this brings another layer to the “accessibility” issue. Followers, fans, and friends can all come to expect you to be “there” in an almost omnipresent fashion. Here’s another example. I had a follower on Twitter join my feed, and about four hours later I had a chance to sit down to my email and send him a ‘thank you’ DM. By then, he had already un-followed me.

While I love the fact we can access information from pretty much anywhere in the world, just because you can doesn’t translate to you should. Everyone has priorities away from their social roles and we need to respectful of that part of the relationship we have with those people. I can’t say it any plainer: give me my space!