Getting With the Sociogram!
Sociogram - a word I coined from "Social Media" and "Programme."
I like to think I am "techy" and "in" with the latest gadgets and innovations.
I believe in technology - I can be quite lazy so anything that will make my life easier is always welcome!
I must confess though, that keeping up with the social media trends has been a real chore for me.
I appreciate the whole global village thing and how everyone is in everyone's business and how we have taken exhibitionism and voyeurism to heights hitherto unimagined. But I just do not think that my life is anyone's business or that anyone is or should be THAT interested in my business or wants to hear about my mundane or otherwise existence!
With Twitter, I can share my cough with the whole world in a millisecond. With Instagram, I could probably magnify a microscopic snapshot of the germs from when I coughed and share with the world. And I would have followers too, plenty. You see, humans have been given the opportunity to truly express themselves in all spheres of their weirdness without physical repercussions now.
I initially embraced Facebook wholeheartedly, excited about the chance to connect to people with whom I had lost touch and to make new e-friends (I had a Pen Pal in Greece when I was 9 - I am still searching for her online). I quickly found out that being on Facebook was a time stealing experience, people just forgot that Facebook was a very public forum on which you really shouldn't air your deep and dark secrets and Facebook administrators, the crafty buggers, deleted nothing, not even when you closed your account. So, my hitherto daily visits dwindled to once in a while visits (take that to mean maybe three times a year!)
I do visit more often now though to share this blog.
Twitter, tweets, hashtags. Twitter is one medium that I find thoroughly fascinating. Twitter (as in the twittering of birds - brings to mind a certain sense of mindlessness and chirpiness combined) gives you the perfect medium to populate the ether with whatever you wish to in terms of words, phrases, statements. You honestly do not have anything intelligent, useful or particularly interesting to say; as long as you can type and string sentences together, no matter how inane, you will have followers on Twitter. I know this because I registered under a pseudonym and within 3 minutes of registering, I had 2 followers - and I had not tweeted anything.
But, the name 'Twitter' (noun) and the act of posting - tweeting (verb) and the post itself - a tweet (noun and/or verb) are all quite apt as they bring to mind the incessant chattering of birds that just won't quit their noise!!
As for Instagram, I am yet to explore/research, in any form, way or manner that particular social medium because, frankly, I am exhausted by the thought of it.
Signing up on these social media sites can be daunting - Your email, date of birth, and some other personal information - these are all required. Then come the "suggestions" for "liking" or "following" so, the sites say, they can customize your experience. After that, you have to activate the account, re-log in etc.
So, I have yet to get with the Sociogram. The inordinate amount of time people spend on Social Media sites must surely be an issue in their lives. Having social media apps on telephones have not helped - everything is in real time and allows people to post, in a second, their experience and feelings as they occur. Interesting, yes, but is it necessary? And, where do people FIND the time for the incessant posting and tweeting and whatnot? I cannot even imagine the billions of naira/dollar/pounds lost in terms of wasted time.
And the Apps out there? Seriously insane!!! There's an App for literally everything now and that I love.
Discovered Uber on a recent trip to Philly. Uber is a transportation service and you don't have to book hours in advance: all you need is a phone with an internet connection and the Uber app which you download onto your phone. It is so cool. And guess what, you have Uber cars and drivers available in Nigeria. Your car breaks down and you need a ride? As long as you have the Uber App and have a registered account, all you need to do is whip out your phone, open the Uber App, type in your address and destination, request the car and usually within 6 minutes (at least in the US), your ride arrives. And the progress of your pick up car towards your location can be tracked.
It is the coolest and most useful App everrr for me. And a source of income for those who may need a part-time job and willing to risk ferrying strangers. You can be an Uber Driver and you dictate your work hours.
Downside? The must-have internet connection, the fact that you can only book the car on the App (I guess that cuts the staffing costs) and, at least for Nigeria where security is a problem, strangers picking you up who really, are not known by anyone.
And I am always on the lookout for an App that will solve a particular issue or peeve I may be having. Like only being able to have one window at a time on your iPad. Just downloaded an App that it is claimed deals with that. I hope it works.
Sigh. The "old" days are gone. I didn't mind them but I am no dinosaur so, I am moving forward.
Maybe then I'll change my profile to "Sociogrammed, Techy SAHM"!!!
I like to think I am "techy" and "in" with the latest gadgets and innovations.
I believe in technology - I can be quite lazy so anything that will make my life easier is always welcome!
I must confess though, that keeping up with the social media trends has been a real chore for me.
I appreciate the whole global village thing and how everyone is in everyone's business and how we have taken exhibitionism and voyeurism to heights hitherto unimagined. But I just do not think that my life is anyone's business or that anyone is or should be THAT interested in my business or wants to hear about my mundane or otherwise existence!
With Twitter, I can share my cough with the whole world in a millisecond. With Instagram, I could probably magnify a microscopic snapshot of the germs from when I coughed and share with the world. And I would have followers too, plenty. You see, humans have been given the opportunity to truly express themselves in all spheres of their weirdness without physical repercussions now.
I initially embraced Facebook wholeheartedly, excited about the chance to connect to people with whom I had lost touch and to make new e-friends (I had a Pen Pal in Greece when I was 9 - I am still searching for her online). I quickly found out that being on Facebook was a time stealing experience, people just forgot that Facebook was a very public forum on which you really shouldn't air your deep and dark secrets and Facebook administrators, the crafty buggers, deleted nothing, not even when you closed your account. So, my hitherto daily visits dwindled to once in a while visits (take that to mean maybe three times a year!)
I do visit more often now though to share this blog.
Twitter, tweets, hashtags. Twitter is one medium that I find thoroughly fascinating. Twitter (as in the twittering of birds - brings to mind a certain sense of mindlessness and chirpiness combined) gives you the perfect medium to populate the ether with whatever you wish to in terms of words, phrases, statements. You honestly do not have anything intelligent, useful or particularly interesting to say; as long as you can type and string sentences together, no matter how inane, you will have followers on Twitter. I know this because I registered under a pseudonym and within 3 minutes of registering, I had 2 followers - and I had not tweeted anything.
But, the name 'Twitter' (noun) and the act of posting - tweeting (verb) and the post itself - a tweet (noun and/or verb) are all quite apt as they bring to mind the incessant chattering of birds that just won't quit their noise!!
As for Instagram, I am yet to explore/research, in any form, way or manner that particular social medium because, frankly, I am exhausted by the thought of it.
Signing up on these social media sites can be daunting - Your email, date of birth, and some other personal information - these are all required. Then come the "suggestions" for "liking" or "following" so, the sites say, they can customize your experience. After that, you have to activate the account, re-log in etc.
So, I have yet to get with the Sociogram. The inordinate amount of time people spend on Social Media sites must surely be an issue in their lives. Having social media apps on telephones have not helped - everything is in real time and allows people to post, in a second, their experience and feelings as they occur. Interesting, yes, but is it necessary? And, where do people FIND the time for the incessant posting and tweeting and whatnot? I cannot even imagine the billions of naira/dollar/pounds lost in terms of wasted time.
And the Apps out there? Seriously insane!!! There's an App for literally everything now and that I love.
Discovered Uber on a recent trip to Philly. Uber is a transportation service and you don't have to book hours in advance: all you need is a phone with an internet connection and the Uber app which you download onto your phone. It is so cool. And guess what, you have Uber cars and drivers available in Nigeria. Your car breaks down and you need a ride? As long as you have the Uber App and have a registered account, all you need to do is whip out your phone, open the Uber App, type in your address and destination, request the car and usually within 6 minutes (at least in the US), your ride arrives. And the progress of your pick up car towards your location can be tracked.
It is the coolest and most useful App everrr for me. And a source of income for those who may need a part-time job and willing to risk ferrying strangers. You can be an Uber Driver and you dictate your work hours.
Downside? The must-have internet connection, the fact that you can only book the car on the App (I guess that cuts the staffing costs) and, at least for Nigeria where security is a problem, strangers picking you up who really, are not known by anyone.
And I am always on the lookout for an App that will solve a particular issue or peeve I may be having. Like only being able to have one window at a time on your iPad. Just downloaded an App that it is claimed deals with that. I hope it works.
Sigh. The "old" days are gone. I didn't mind them but I am no dinosaur so, I am moving forward.
Maybe then I'll change my profile to "Sociogrammed, Techy SAHM"!!!
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