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<\/p>\nTools are multifaceted. A tool such as a hammer can be used for a variety of purposes like pounding a nail, breaking a rock, or smashing a spider. A fork can be used to eat your spaghetti, or dislodge weeds in your garden. A Swiss Army Knife is multifaceted because there are many tools bundled into one package. One can cut bread, pop tabs, pull a splinter, and dislodge food between the teeth with any number of the tools gathered.<\/p>\n
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Properly using social media is growing more difficult because of the variety of ways people use the tool. As its uses expand, the platform changes to incorporate those uses. (We can say the same about the tools we use to access social media, such as computers, cell phones, and now glasses).<\/p>\n
Here are two suggestions for Social Media use:<\/p>\n
1. Pick a use, and stick with it.<\/strong><\/p>\n Because of the changing horizons of tools and uses, each individual has to determine what the tool is meant for?<\/i><\/p>\n Twitter: the worst place on the internet to attempt debate.<\/p>\n \u2014 Brandon (@WarriorotCross) September 23, 2013<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n There are certain things that a tool is not capable of doing, at least in a way that leads to desirable results. We have all heard about the pocket knife arm amputation, but no one wants to be that guy.<\/p>\n How do you determine this? Here are several questions to ask yourself:<\/p>\n 1. What can I say?\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n 2. How can I say it?<\/em> Can I use words, a picture, or a 6 second video?<\/p>\n 3. How much room do I have to develop what I want to say?<\/em><\/p>\n Pick your use, let it be known, and be consistent. Your \u201cfriends\u201d will thank me.\u00a0This is not to say that you can\u2019t wear socks as mittens in a pinch, but don\u2019t make a habit of it (that\u2019s weird).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 2. Pick an Audience and stick with it:<\/strong><\/p>\n The audience and accessibility of the information determines what I post and what I will not.\u00a0You can\u2019t always determine who will read or view what you post, but you need to keep them in mind.<\/p>\n 1. <\/i>LinkedIn:<\/em> If I used this, I would post information for those who want to read my resume.<\/strong><\/p>\n 2. <\/i>Twitter:<\/em> What I post on Twitter is what I wouldn\u2019t mind pasting to my car as a bumper sticker.<\/strong> Anyone can read Twitter, and it will stay up there for a long time\u2026even the 144 character rants.<\/p>\n 3. <\/i>Facebook (and Instagram):<\/em> I post for those who want to look in my windows<\/strong>. This is sort of creepy, but then again, so are a lot of people on the internet. This information is partly \u201cguarded\u201d (insert 144 character rant on Facebook\u2019s privacy policy), but I still don\u2019t want everyone peeking in my windows. It is for this reason we don\u2019t post a lot of pictures of our family, or any selfies (why would I want someone looking at me in my bathroom mirror?).<\/p>\n Some people post a lot to Facebook. That is fine. But that isn\u2019t for everyone.<\/p>\n 4. <\/i>Blog:<\/em> for those who want to read my calendar and notes.<\/strong> This information is open for anyone surfing the web, so I won\u2019t be ranting about everything (except for the \u201cYou Said What?!\u201d posts). Here though, I am able to explain myself with more than 144 letters, without relying on emoticons, and without those awful abbreviations (insert lol and dancing smiley face).<\/p>\n 5. <\/i>Dinner Table:<\/em> for those who want to read my journal<\/strong><\/p>\n If you come into my home, I have made myself vulnerable to you. You can see where I live, what I love, and how I eat. I am already opening up to you, and chances are good that you will learn more about me.<\/p>\n “The guiding principle is this: technology is for the table. This doesn\u2019t mean that technology and the table are in opposition, only that everything we do with our tools\u2014scheduling appointments on our phones, heating up meals in the microwave, reading updates from friends and family on social networks\u2014should all be directed toward enriching the few, precious face-to-face encounters we have in our busy world\u201d (Dyer, From the Garden to the City)<\/em><\/p>\n How should I use this tool? Everyone will answer in a different way. The celebrity, marketing agent, and soccer mom will all use Facebook in a different way for a different purpose. But, you have seen the mess that happens when one person tries to use it for everything.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Takeaway:<\/p>\n You can\u2019t have it all. You can\u2019t use your fork to eat your spaghetti and hoe your garden at the same\u2026or at least without making a mess and eating dirt. When you hold a tool, pick a use and pick an audience. We will all be happier.<\/strong><\/p>\n How do you use certain social media tools?<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Tools are multifaceted. A tool such as a hammer can be used for a variety of purposes like pounding a nail, breaking a rock, or smashing a spider. A fork can be used to eat your spaghetti, or dislodge weeds … Continue reading