The Problem With Blogging…

Despite being a bit of a social media nut, I just can’t seem to get to grips with blogging. So why is it that whilst my Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr accounts (just to name a few) get updated multiple times a day, I struggle to update my WordPress just once a week or even fortnight for that matter?

The problem seems to come down to that age old issue of time, and the lack of it in a day! Blogging requires a lot of thought and the thought process takes time (for me at least!). Time is just not a commodity that I’m fortunate to have a lot of at the moment. Between work, university, commuting and trying to maintain some form of social life, my free time is usually spent eating, trying to catch up on sleep or being stranded on some form of malfunctioning public transport. It seems like my current lifestyle makes me incompatible with blogging.

Despite my relationship with blogging sites being a little fragile at the moment, my love affair with microblogs is going strong. For me a blog discusses issues or conveys a story to the audience whilst a microblog gives a snapshot of emotion or thought at any given time; if you pieced them all together you could create a mood board that represents the author.

In my current situation, microblogging platforms such as Tumblr, Twitter and even Instagram, are a more suitable way for me to express my identity online. Given more time, I would like blogging to play a larger role in my online presence. Once you get going it’s actually quite fun and shows a side to you that can’t be shown through other forms of social media. Hopefully I’ll one day be able to blog frequently and it will become second nature to me. Until that day, I’ll try to blog when and where I can.

How Do You Use Social Media?

A few weeks ago I was getting the train home after a gruelling day at University, the weather was a little bit grim and the train was absolutely rammed as per usual. After standing for what seemed an eternity, I finally managed to get a seat. I was sat there for all of two seconds when I glanced over to the guy who was asleep in the seat next to me and noticed a noticed a pink Post-it note stuck next to his head. Needless to say curiosity got the better of me and I had to find what it said, so I reached over and picked it up. Here is what I found:

Post-it note by @CoachDez

Now this really got me thinking about how we all use social media on daily basis. For most of us our use of social media usually consists of sending the odd tweet about a passing thought or posting a selfie on Instagram. We tend to think of social media as a means to keep in contact with our friends and family but in fact it is much more powerful and useful tool which some people are utilising to make an impact on the world and make a difference in people’s lives.

The very nature of the web gives you countless opportunities to make a difference and allows you to contact people all around the globe. A quick Google search uncovers a multitude of different ways social is being used to change the world around us, most of which we are oblivious to! One article I found on mashable.com, 10 ways that you can change the world through the use of social media, explains a selection of different ways you can use social media to make the world a better place. The list ranges from taking social actions and making people aware of specific causes, to using web 2.0 methods to ask the President of the U.S. questions via a virtual town hall even if you aren’t an American citizen! Check out their page here!

The use of social media is becoming more important each passing day. I think it’s important to have a think about how we use each use these platforms and ask ourselves if we’re using them to their full potential. If you find yourself wanting to make the world around you better, maybe look towards social media as a way to make this happen. Remember, actions that change the world don’t need to be massive; maybe take a leaf out of @CoachDez’s book and improve the world with life advice and inspiring others.

References

@CoachDez. 2013. Twitter Profile. [Accessed 12 November 2013]. Available at: https://twitter.com/CoachDez

Max Gladwell. 2009. 10 Ways To Change The World Using Social Media. [Accessed 12 November 2013]. Available at: http://mashable.com/2009/05/12/social-media-change-the-world/

The White House. 2013. Engage and Connect. [Accessed 12 November 2013]. Available at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/engage