I am social. I am geeky. I am connected… all the time.
I can’t get through the day without someone asking me how I am able to be omnipresent on the web. It’s simple. I am co-dependent on my online life just as much as I am on my offline one. Nah… not really. Kind of.
For a while now, I’ve been tossing the idea of what makes me such a social media addict, and have decided to confess some of the few things that qualify me as such. Most people who know me already know these things, but I don’t mind making myself vulnerable by putting pen to paper and listing them out for all to see. You can take them as confessions… or you can take it as a way to confirm your own addiction — and I KNOW there are those of you out there who are just like me — don’t worry, I won’t make you stand up. Anyway, here goes… (please … no judging!!)
The standard pose of a social media addict: sitting at a place where everyone knows my name with wine in one hand and my computer in another
Confession #1: I am Everywhere
Not only do I have a profile on just about every social network you can think of, but I also manage these profiles from any place, any time. I like to call this being accessible. Some people would say I have hard time separating myself from virtual and real life. In all honesty, they might have a point. I confess that I could tell you how some dude remembers going to bed with two girls only to wake up with four (Texts From Last Night, Area code: 312) before I could tell you how much my local gas prices are, but I think that comes with the territory in terms of what I do for a living.
I will update, check in, respond or tweet from anyplace, anytime… using any device at my disposal. This addiction isn’t helped by the fact that the first thing I do each morning and the last thing I do each night is check my phone or laptop for messages. I suppose I could try to turn my devices off and not to be available ALL THE TIME, except for emergencies. But what if The Cheesecake Factory decided to give away its Red Velvet Cheesecake for free, and I missed out on the opportunity because I didn’t have access to push email or text notifications? And if you’ve ever had The Cheesecake Factory’s Red Velvet Cheesecake, then you know that getting it for free absolutely constitutes an EMERGENCY.
BOTTOM LINE: If all your friends know that the best and fastest way to reach you is through Facebook… you are addicted.
Confession #2: I Overshare
I hear “TMI” all the time. I get that not everyone wants to share as much as I do or read as much as I share, but to be honest, if you’ve ever met me in person, then you also know that the tweets, posts and status updates that you read on my social network profiles are exactly what I would say if you were standing right beside me.
I share my random, witty and sometimes senseless thoughts about kids, life and business. I unabashedly talk about my LOVE for all things techie or Science Fiction. I talk NONSTOP about AT&T versus Verizon, Apple versus Google and my absolute belief in social technologies as a communications and engagement channel for the enterprise.
And as hard as it might be for you to believe, there’s actually a lot that I DON’T share. I strongly advocate a user’s ability to customize (or not customize) social network privacy settings and the importance of establishing social media policies / guidelines. If you have seen my rants about Facebook’s latest privacy changes, you know exactly what I mean.
BOTTOM LINE: If your friends tell you they hide your status updates or removed you as a connection because you update too frequently… you are addicted.
Confession #3: I ♥ Relationships
As most people who have a strong presence in social media, I have a knack for establishing relationships with people. And I love that I have the ability to do so. I am frequently asked if I truly know all of my friends on Facebook, and, for the most part, I can honestly say that I do. Admittedly, it could be someone who I connect with after having known them for only a mere five minutes — to me, it’s about the connection I have with a person whether it be virtually or in person. If I strike up a conversation with someone and we seem to have common passions or interests, I will inevitably ask them if they have a social networking profile. That’s the beauty of social media — not just connecting with people you already know — but building relationships with those whom you DON’T.
BOTTOM LINE: If your “have met in person” and “have never met in person” connections are of equal ratio… you are addicted.
Confession #4: I Like to be Naked
Naked in the sense that what you see is what you get with me, of course.
If you have ever heard me speak, you know that I absolutely believe in being authentic, genuine and transparent. These attributes are especially vital in online communications. There’s a reason why I’m so passionate about social technologies as a means to drive engagement: it’s what I live and breathe both professionally and personally. And hopefully, this passion comes across in everything I write. Also, there are no automated feeders for my status updates or tweets… if you see something from me, it’s because I physically pushed the send button. I don’t have a ghost writer nor do I schedule my blog posts in advance. I try to remain very up-to-date with my posts, but, honestly, if I have a lot going on at the time, then you’ll notice that my blog posts slow down a bit (just like they have recently).
BOTTOM LINE: If your passion for social media forces you to tweet, blog or e-mail at very obscure hours of the night…. you are addicted.
Confession #5: I am an Early Adopter
I get an INSANE amount of gleeful satisfaction from participating in alpha and beta testing of any new application or software service. If I see the words “private beta,” you’d better believe I’m chomping at the bit to get an invite to participate…. and will not hesitate to use bodily force to make sure that happens!
I love techie gadgets, and will always be the person who rushes to pre-order any hot, new device that has come out. Unless it’s made by Apple. Then, not so much. But let’s not go there.
The original purpose of my blog, way back two years ago when I first started it, was for the soon-to-be released Blackberry Storm. The original title for my blog was in fact called “Crackberry Grrrlz” which eventually turned into “GeekyGrrrl” and has since evolved into what it is today. It’s amazing how quickly your site can change once you truly hone into what fuels your passion. In case you’re living on a different planet, my techie addiction has transitioned over to the Android; however, I still have my original “Essential 3rd Party Blackberry Apps” list posted on the site.
BOTTOM LINE: If you tweet that you love your new HTC Incredible phone so much that you would have its babies… you are addicted. Or if you’re on the “Most Wanted” list for pre-alpha, alpha testing… you are addicted.
Confession #6: I Speak Text Lingo
Ima txtN fiend. n dnt jst taK my wrd 4 it… as doze hu knw me. n I’m prety fst @ it 2. I secretly gt almst fetish-like njoyment wen I heA d pings 4my Emsg or txt notifications on my ph. d ability 2 qkly snd n rx txt or Emsgs hs enabled me 2B responsive 2 my blog, tweets n ^dates.
BOTTOM LINE: If you understood what I said above… you are addicted.
Confession #7: I Believe in Aliens
I’m sorry. But it’s my personal opinion that if you’re a social media enthusiast and you don’t LOVE Science Fiction / Super Hero / Fantasy then there is something seriously wrong with you. I dare say that I’ve never met one that didn’t come with the other. Any community manager worth their salt should qualify themselves by listing the majority of these movies on their bios:
(feel free to circle all that apply)
Star Trek | Dune | 2001: A Space Odyssey | Star Wars (Original Trilogy) | Serenity | Blade Runner | Terminator | Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan | Terminator | The Matrix | The Day the Earth Stood Still | Iron Man | The Dark Knight | Batman | Children of Men | Aliens | District 9 | Moon | Tron | A Clockwork Orange | WALL-E | Lord of the Rings | Short Circuit | The Abyss | X-Men | 28 Days Later | Avatar
BOTTOM LINE: If you drew one huge circle around all of the above movies… you are addicted.
Not that I want to further enable your own social media addiction, BUT… feel free to connect with me at any of the below:
@pingelizabeth
@socialworkplace
Facebook Friends
Facebook Fans
LinkedIn Network
Employee Engagement Network
Social Media Today
