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New Year’s Resolutions From A Social Media Addict

Author: Nathan Bush | Posted in: Social Media

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New Year’s Resolutions 2010

  1. Improve fitness. I should be Trevor Hendy by now as it has been #1 for the last 10 years.
  2. Save, plan and commit to one overseas holiday this year. NZ does not count.
  3. Finally watch The Terminator, Indiana Jones and Star Wars. Am I the only male in the world who hasn’t seen these?
  4. Spend more time BEING rather than posting, tweeting, rating and poking.

Isn’t it frightening? We’ve created a monster which we are now trying to control. After going on Christmas holidays and having as little online interaction as possible, it has been really hard to get back into. And I’m not alone. I have spoken to a number of people coming back to the real world who have vowed to spend less time living their lives online and living their lives… well, normally.

It really hit home when I read this from a friend:

“I’ve literally been on a two week digital detox while enjoying the festive season in true Australian style at the beach. Its been relaxing to say the least, and the break from the usual digital demands (email, twitter, blog, facebook et al) has been a well-timed requirement to allow my brain to de-frag and detox from the information influx I usually face on a day-to-day basis.”

Just like global warming, skinny jeans and Warwick Capper, we have brought this pain upon ourselves. What started as fun, harmless and social has turned into obsession, clutter and inefficiency.

So, instead of sharing everything I do this year, I’m going to spend more time doing.

I’m not going to check my email midway through a movie. I won’t tweet the score when I’m at the football. I’m not going review a restaurant on Foursquare before I finish the meal. I won’t post my concert photos to Facebook when I’m still in the crowd. I won’t write blog posts when I could be doing work… oh, bugger.

Nathan Bush is an Interactive Strategist at BCM

Check out these related posts:

  1. 2009: The year of social media
  2. How an egg became a social media ‘Celeggrity’
  3. There are some things even social media can’t do!
  4. Are Australian brands simply not up to the social media challenge?
  5. A study in ‘Super’ social media

3 comments

1 AER Head { 22.01.10 at 2:48 pm }

Yo fella, so is this the year to get a life?

Happy NY mate.

2 Mandi { 25.01.10 at 9:25 am }

I haven’t really admitted to this out loud yet but my resolutions are very similar – at the moment it’s like I’m only offline if I’m flying, in the bathroom or sleeping. Not only a product of obsession, clutter and inefficiency, I’m guessing over time we’ll be suffering from long term effects from strain on our eyes, necks and backs, not to mention the bad gunk radiating from our electronic devices. We’re like 80s sunlovers soaking in carrot oil.

3 Daniel Oyston { 02.02.10 at 7:23 am }

%&*$ you! I finally read a book to review for you and you leave me out in the cold :) And it didn’t have any blody pictures or anything!

I found the same thing with not having online access as much while travelling. The online world is very busy and I think its value diminishes a little now the great unwashed have joined.

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