Your Social Media Neighbourhood: Are You Keeping Good Company?

March 23, 2009 · by Joanna Paterson · in

The longer I read and write blogs, the more time I invest in getting to know people on Twitter, the more I realise how much these connections and interactions can shape and influence our view, perception and experience of the world.

Surround yourself with people who are thoughtful, interesting, generous, funny, creative… and guess what?  After a while your world starts to look that way too.  You start giving yourself permission to play out those parts of your own character with more gusto, colour, and confidence.

And you learn how to adapt, cut, shift and control your reading (listening, talking, learning, watching, feeling) experience to one that suits you.  This isn’t about following and connecting with people out of a sense of obligation to a community.  Maybe it’s more like creating (day in, day out) the kind of community that supports, encourages and challenges you.

I don’t want to get hung up on words – maybe it’s a tribe, or a network, or a community.  Maybe it’s your neighbourhood: full of people, and as colourful as you can make it.

Wall with colors by tanakawho on flickr

Here are 5 posts I’ve enjoyed recently on making those connections work for you.

Rules of the Playground from Amy Palko (@amypalko)

To get on in the twittersphere you need to follow the rules of the playground.  They’re very simple: be polite, be considerate, and above all, maintain respect for other tweeters’ time, space and sensibilities.  In other words – PLAY NICE!

Spoken from the Heart by Wonderwebby (@wonderwebby)

Social Media isn’t just about getting the most Twitter followers, Facebook friends or enhancing your online reputation. Social Media also provides a way to express, create and give.

(The post includes a link to this video of a mural on creativity – fascinating stuff)

The sheer power of other people’s positivity (or) the cure for suckypants by @TheCharmQuark

Every time I fall down, every time I think I’m about to break, I know I have people around me now who will just offer that instant support in some way. When I decide to do something specific, then I find a deluge of people offering me specific and helpful advice, or just offering to provide me with an ear while I process what I’m experiencing.

It’s All About You from Karen Swim at Words For Hire (@KarenSwim)

The “why” of most of our actions is in direct relation to our humanity and the sharing of such with others.  Without people the tools we use and the actions we take are rather hollow

You Are Who You Hang With from Chris Garrett writing at the Blog Herald (@chrisgarrett)

With social media tools we have the ability to instantly become a citizen of the world. We probably have more interactions in a single day than many people from our grandparents times met in their whole life. This has both advantages and negatives, and navigating these will have a profound impact on your happiness and your success.

Fact is some people make you feel better, lift you up, inform and entertain, while others seem to be on a mission to depress, annoy, enrage. Sorting the edifying from the toxic is a habit to get into early and often!

These posts all reminded me that I need to keep on editing and shaping my own experience so it works for me: in terms of the time and energy that I put in, but also the benefits I reap (of ideas for example, plus energy, confidence, and a sense of shared endeavour.)

What techniques do you use to navigate your way round the social media experience?

Have you found approaches that help you keep the company that’s right for you?

Photo Credit: Wall with colors by tanakawho on flickr

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