PART of the nuances in our millennial lives is our continuing social media presence. I admire in equal proportions people who have managed to keep out of Facebook and people who have a strong web presence as well.
I have been keeping track of my Facebook use as an individual just to know how much time I spend online. I check status updates of my "friends" in the morning and during lull times throughout the day. I monitor requests or messages on our official office page or forward concerns to other offices if sent through the official city page. Before I go to sleep I try to keep myself updated on what’s happening to my family and friends on Fb. But with 4000 plus so called friends, it is difficult to keep track of everyone as it is.
I keep in touch with friends from various phases of my life through Fb, whether it be grade school, high school or university life. I have a network on Fb for my advocacies and interests, whether it be arts and culture, heritage, travel and tourism, environment, music or breastfeeding.
I share on my Fb page the books that I’ve read, the films that I’ve watched or the bands that I like. I also post on Fb some photos of me, my family and friends who I actually get to spend time with.
I post a little of what I eat, a little of what I wear, a little of where I go. I don’t usually post when I'm angry or hungry, lest my negative vibes will spread in the virtual world, but I am all for sharing good news not only about myself but also for the achievements of others which we I can be proud of.
In terms of work, Fb is proven as an effective tool in spreading the word about events or even holidays. The Page Manager application is helpful in monitoring demographics and other data, which can be used to analyze how effective posts are. Cost efficient it is, even without placing sponsored ads. But a lot of festivals have a strong online presence which makes it easier to find out about them.
Fb is also an important tool to get feedbacks from the general public, positive and negative comments included. Just like in real life, you cannot please everyone. In fact, the freedom that social media allows us is seemingly endless, in posting pretty much whatever we want, cyberbullying aside.
After five or six years of being on Facebook there are times when I also get Fb-fatigued or suffer from the phantom Fb-syndrome, thinking that a message has come in while the gadget is actually turned off or on silent mode. Fb comes at a cost, which makes me contemplate whether the benefits outweigh the disadvantages. One thing I have realized is that Facebook, along with other social media, is neutral. Whether we use it for positive or negative means is in our hands.