NOT SO SOCIAL MEDIA?
Whatever did we used to do in the days pre-internet? Remember how, if we wanted to contact a friend we’d phone them ... on a landline phone? As a teenageer, we only had one phone at home (my Mum and Dad’s home, that is) and it was in the hall. I’d sit on the stairs and chat, fully aware that everyone else could listen to the conversation, so romance with a boyfriend was out. Not that I had many boyfriends. (Could the inability to talk to them, privately on the phone, be one reason?)
If I did want to talk privately it meant using a public telephone box, which always stank of cigarettes and male urine. And inevitably there would be someone waiting impatiently outside, so even there privacy was not that common.
Take advantage when parents were out? Good idea – except initially we had a party line which meant our line was shared with the lady who lived over the road. If she lifted her receiver while we were talking, she’d not be able to make her call and could hear every word from our end. Worked both ways, mind you.
(I haven’t come across many Murder Mysteries being solved by someone eavesdropping on a party line. Or even earwigging outside a phone box? Hmm, might utilise that...)
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| some old phone boxes are now being put to good use! |
When the Internet first came into my life circa 1979, I couldn’t see the point of it. Yes, the PC was wonderful. Yes, email made a lot of difference, but the first thing I heard praising the World Wide Web was: ‘I can look to see what a Chinese restaurant has on its menu... in Hong Kong!’ Forgive me for not being enthusiastically impressed.
Then, eventually, came MySpace. I liked MySpace. That was superseded by good old Facebook. Which was followed by Twitter. I refuse to call it X. What sort of name is that? ‘Twitter’ was the whole point, the twitter of dozens of us all chattering at once exchanging birdy conversations.
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| Bring Back The Bird! |
Have you ever stopped to listen to birds in the garden? Blackbirds are a good example, they really do exchange patterns of song as birdy conversation.
I assume Musk’s name of ‘X’ is to do with his Space X exploration? I can’t help thinking I wish he’d hurry up, develop a rocket to go to Mars and b*gger off. Taking his loopy mates with him.
Or is ‘X’ connected with pirate treasure? ‘X marks the spot’? Except that is a fictional invention by Robert Louis Stevenson for Treasure Island. Real pirates didn’t bury their treasure and didn’t have treasure maps. Reason being, most pirates never accumulated that much treasure anyway, and what they did get they spent almost immediately on women and rum. A couple of pirates might have temporarily buried some of their booty – like the chaps from Bachelors Delight in the 1680s (read more here if you’re interested.)
Or, as a friend pointed out: in a polling booth X means ‘Vote For Me’. Food for thought there... Vote for who...?
Social Media The Good Side:
1. I have friends all round the world. Friends I can instantly be in touch with – when they answer their emails or pick up Facebook/Twitter messages, that is. In pre-WWW days it meant writing letters, usually on lightweight blue airmail paper. And these were one or two friends only, no easy click and Follow, back then. In fact, I’ve now got more friends who live abroad than I have here in the UK.
2. What would we have done without S.M. (or the Internet) during Covid? So add Mental Health/Well-being to the ‘good’ list.
3. The ability to learn, to counter ignorance. Need to know something? Click Google or Wikipedia. Not, strictly, Social Media of course, but we are ALL ignorant if you think about it. Unless you are a boring prig who knows everything, all of us have great gaps in our knowledge of ‘things’. Most of us have a good knowledge of what interests us – I’m pirates, 1066, horses, a smattering of General Knowledge. You’ve got your own specialities. Knowledge is the exploration of facts that are lacking because of ignorance. The awareness of ignorance is good because it drives us to discover more: why does the sun shine, how does water turn to ice, what was Marie Curie famous for? Why do some people think Trump/Nigel Farage is wonderful? What the heck is the answer to 9 down on that crossword? (If anyone knows the answer to those last two, please tell me...)
The Not So Good Side:
1. Spam. Annoying content. Fake news. Fake accounts. Hacking. Trolls. Adverts. Idiots (the stupid kind, not the fun ones).
2+ ... Elon Musk.
I used to like Twitter. Not now. Fake News and gross misinformation is being spread on platforms like the rapidly more unregulated 'X'. Fewer and fewer younger people listen to or watch the genuine news (like BBC News, which is verified as accurate) preferring what is posted on social media. That's fine, but only if such 'news' is analysed by common sense and questions are asked, like: 'Is this accurate or even true?', 'Where did it come from?'. 'Who is spreading it?', 'Could this be conspiracy theory based?'
The rise of pro-Nazi-type interest in East Germany is extremely worrying. Ditto the far right here in the UK - fuelled, I suspect, by Nigel Farage another nasty piece of work (a Trump supporter, of course.)
Conspiracy theories claim that the BBC isn't accurate or reliable. I was horrified when our previous local Tory MP (the lady is now gone, thank goodness) actually told me (to my face) that BBC Radio 4 (and therefore BBC TV news as well,) wasn't reliable and to listen to Times Radio instead. Which is owned by that nice (ha ha) chap Rupert Murdoch, who also controls that well-known 'reliable' Fox News.
I didn't vote for the silly woman and I'm pleased that she's now out of a job.
Will Mr Musk clamp down on blatant misinformation and fake news? On online harassment, pornography, child sexual abuse, or blatant misogyny and racism? Of course he won't, he shouts loudly about Free Speech. Incitement to racism, riot, bullying harassment, misogyny, violence, hatred and such is NOT free speech - it'sunchecked incitement to crime and violence.
Why do people have to be rude or abusive on social media? What happened to that old adage, 'if you can't say something decent, say nothing at all'?
Last weekend (24th/25th August) there was comment here in the UK re Ms Kirstie Allsopp (of the TV show Location, Location, Location etc.) She went public, praising her son for being sensible after he'd been on a holiday abroad with his mates - at 15 years old. I applaud Ms Allsopp. She knows her own son, knew he would be sensible, his mates were all 16 and the mere change of a birthday number doesn't necessarily make it safe/unsafe for a teenager to start exploring the world. (Her son's birthday is July - so is 'behind' most of his mates on the calendar, but not in aptitude or common sense.)
The amount of abuse she got was unbelievable. For goodness sake! I'm 71 now. When I was 9 I spent every day of the summer holidays off on my bike, often, on my own. From the age of about 8 I walked the mile to school on my own. At 15 I was horse riding in Epping Forest on my own, having gone to the stables on a bus with a long walk up a country lane on my own. At 15 I walked dogs for pocket money. Walked them in the forest. On my own. We had no mobile phones back then. Out all day with no means of home contact. And you know what? I seem to have survived.
Were times safer back then? Maybe not so much traffic on the road, but I doubt every other potential 'danger' was much different to now - we just weren't aware of them. Did that make things safer or more dangerous? Actually, I think the latter. Now, kids are aware. They DO have a phone, they DO know how to get help, keep safe - and stay in touch. Mostly through the good side of Social Media. Maybe kids under 12 shouldn't be on social media. But we must also let them grow up to be sensible adults. And the only way to do that is let them grow up.
Just a pity that far too many supposed adults on social media and elsewhere look like adults, but have the brain capacity of a plank of wood.
None of which is what I’d intended to rabbit on about! :-)
What does concern me with the implosion and brink-of-demise of any polite, friendly, enjoyable Social Media, is just how Indie Authors, such as myself (or Freelance writers as I’m wondering whether to brand myself,) can market our books? Most of us rely on Social Media to advertise new books or our backlist – but just HOW do we reach our established readers or discover new ones without networking through Social Media?
Sales are dismal, for many authors, not just me. To be honest I've given up writing as a career, it's now just a hobby. Which helps mentally.
Career = earning a bit of a living. Hobby = spending money to enjoy yourself.
I can’t use Instagram or WhatsAp or TikTok or anything mobile-phone based because I can’t see well enough to use these platforms. Twitter is rapidly flushing itself down the pan. Mastodon? I gave up with that. Threads? Can’t use it. I have started a BlueSky account – jury’s out on how useful it will be. So that leaves Facebook and my blog – this blog. The advantage of a blog...complete control. Disadvantage: how to get people to visit and read the latest post/s. Half of the few comments left are spam, and very few genuine readers bother to leave comments. So maybe social media is not all that 'social' after all?
I'd very much like for us all to get back to the enjoyment of a good, interesting blog. Not sure how that can be achieved though?
As for the rest: there's certain little things called 'Delete' and 'Block'. (If you're a writer, 'Undesirables' are not going to read your books anyway, so don't waste your time or energy with them.)
I'd appreciate useful suggestions for the way forward with marketing though.
What you can do:
- Spread the word to your friends about your favourite authors.
- Click the 'follow' button on Amazon, so you'll always be updated when a new book comes out.
- Leave reviews
- Read our blogs (or at least, take a quick look!)
- Sign up for author's newsletters.
- Sign up for reminders about my monthly Thoughts - see below.
Meanwhile let's all try our best to keep Social Media 'social'! Kick out those who live in the slime beneath the rocks. (Maybe Mr Musk will get bored, sell Twitter to someone sensible, and then go play elsewhere? I hear Mars might be a good destination...
Lege Feliciter (Read happily)
Helen
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Another interesting newsletter with food for thought. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI so agree Helen I'm just two years in age behind you , we'd take some jam pieces (sandwiches) and a drink of squash and we'd go off for the day with our pals and came home at tea time, everyone did it, its how I remember it. This was while we were still in primary school, it made us stronger people. I thought it was awful the abuse Kirsty got. some 20+ so called adults have less sense than primary age children. I think a parent knows their children.
ReplyDeleteYes Social media has its good points and bad points,but I've made friends from across the world through it and they are dear to me, so there are some benefits. But you have to sort out the rough from the smooth xxx
So true Helen. The connections and conversations around the world from social media are priceless. And, I can choose to unfriend or ignore any I don't wish to engage with. After all, I wouldn't walk around Piccadilly Circus at rush hour talking to everyone and expect to make new lifelong friends; nor would I stand at Speakers' Corner and expect not to hear something I didn't agree with. So, as election time approaches in America and rhetoric runs amok, I will be judicious with time on social media, and keep the conversation pleasant.
ReplyDeleteI love that I can keep up with friends no matter where they are. And I will admit that sometimes it's how I see what my kiddos are up to. :). But that said, there certainly are those who want to just be obnoxious... and dang, if those folks who are angry, hateful or just downright mean just want to use up all the space...so... yes, judicious use, surrounding yourself with friends and deleting the others makes for far more fun. On another note.. have you used Fantastic Fiction (fantasticfiction.com) to find books in series, etc? You're there Helen and while it works like all the other book sites, it's just very easy to use and they keep me updated on my favorite authors so that I know when their latest books are coming out. Thanks for your newsletter Helen!
ReplyDeleteThoroughly agree, Helen. People are so nasty on social media (unfortunately, every time I use the word 'nasty' I now hear it in Donald Trump's voice since he used it so much). I hate the fact that it's okay to be vile to anyone who thinks differently - it's absolutely not okay. Grown adults can choose to be polite to anyone they disagree with. Sadly, the word 'polite' seems to be going rhe same way as good old common sense - which is now rare rather than common, it seems. And I hate headlines that are deliberately tweaked to make the story seem more than it is. I think I may be turning into a dinosaur, lol.
ReplyDeleteWell said – straight from the shoulder (as usual). On social media the three BBC principles – inform, educate and entertain – are the best in face of the ignorant, stupid or malign.
ReplyDeleteI still spread the word to people about your books. I do not know if many act on them, but I think one or two have.
ReplyDeleteThe number of books available to read seems to grow each year.