Online Social Media

Online social media is all the rage these days. Websites such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter and hundreds more like them are being used by families and friends to keep in touch with one another. JLHanna, my daughter and I,
had a discussion about online social media and we wanted to share it with you.

1. What are your favourite social media platforms?

Me - My favourite social media platforms are Facebook and Twitter. I prefer Facebook over all the other social media platforms on the internet today. Facebook seems to suit my needs more than the others and I believe that I have found more family members and friends on Facebook than I ever could on other social media platforms.

JLHanna - The only social media platform I use is Facebook. It is easy to use and allows you to keep in touch with family and friends.

2. Explain your use of the social media tools that are available to you.

Me - I use social media tools such as Facebook to keep up to date with members of my family and my friends. I find it easy to view photographs of my family and to find out what my friends are doing, quickly and at a glance. I don't have a lot of time to spend online these days but I do like to know
what friends and family are doing.

JLHanna - Same here, I just don't have the desire I used to to be online and having live conversations with people so I use Facebook to share and keep in touch with family and friends.

3. What would you do if your favourite online social media sites were shutdown?

Me - If my favourite online social media sites were shutdown, I think I would be devastated. Not only do I use online social media sites to keep up to date with family and friends, I also rely on them to promote my website.

JLHanna - It sucks that it would be such a nuisance for you but it wouldn't bother me one bit. I find social media platforms a pain because everybody you ever met wants to add you and then they never speak to you. As for family, I have other ways to keep in touch with them and don't need a social media tool. I only use Facebook because everyone else uses it as well.

4. What are your favourite social media tools?

Me - I think Facebook is my favourite social media tool. I seem to spend the most time on it. I find it the easiest to use and the best for providing quick information that I need.

JLHanna - As previously mentioned, I have only ever used Facebook as a social media tool. I use Facebook because I can see what everyone is up to and quickly respond when I want. Everybody gets to share photos and videos fairly easily as well. When I don't want everybody to see what I am discussing with someone I just send them a private message.

5. How did you stay in touch with family and friends before the social media rage?

Me - I used to live closer to my family before the social media rage and I never really had many friends to keep in touch with. Now that I live about 4,000 km away, online social media is the best resource ever to be able to find out what my family is doing and to make sure they are all okay.

JLHanna - Couldn't you just pick up a phone to find out if everyone is all right? Anyway, before the rage of social media platforms I would just pick up the phone and call them or go visit them.

6. How long have you been using social media platforms?

Me - I have been using Facebook for at least six years now. I started using MySpace first but when I started using Facebook I was able to find more friends and family members. I find it much easier to navigate around Facebook
than MySpace as well.

JLHanna - Yes, me too.

7. How much time do you spend per day using social media tools?

Me - I probably spend at least a half an hour a day or more using social media tools.

JLHanna - I probably spend an hour a day on Facebook because it is linked to my cell phone and as soon as someone contacts me I'm aware of it.

8. What additions would you like to see to your favourite online social media?

Me - I would like to see a better photograph tool on Facebook. I think the one they have now is too cumbersome.

JLHanna - What do you mean cumbersome? I don't really think they could do much better and still provide you with everything they do in regards to the pictures. As for additions I'd like to see on my favorite social media platform there really isn't any I could think of.

9. What would you like to see less of with your favourite online social media?

Me - I would like to see less games and game requests on online social media. I think games are a waste of time.

JLHanna - I agree, the game requests drive me nuts.

10. What are your final thoughts/comments concerning social media?

Me - I think social media is here to stay and I think more and more people are relying on it. I really enjoy online social media. I enjoy finding out about what my family and friends are doing. I also like the idea of being able to promote my website as well.

JLHanna - I like being able to see what everyone is up to but like everything it has it's problems. I don't think people rely on it they just use it because it's there. There are many ways to keep in touch with people beside social media tools.