Tag Archives: Facebook

Parents vs non-parents: it’s not a competition

02 Monday Sep 2013

Posted by in Family, Motherhood

≈ 16 Comments

Tags

, , , ,

Maybe it’s just me, but when I became a mum I suddenly became really aware of all the things you shouldn’t do when you have kids.

I’m not talking parenting fails or parenting tribalism. I’m on about the mum-bashing type of Facebook updates and Tweets that you see, alluding to some sort of parenting / non-parenting divide in the world.

Terrified I’d become one of *those* mums, I restricted (or, attempted to restrict) gushy status updates about my new baby. Equally, I held myself back from posting running commentaries about my child’s sleeping / eating / sleeping / eating habits. Mainly, it wasn’t that interesting to me – let alone anyone else – but I was also aware that I didn’t want to annoy people without kids.  Continue reading »

Combating social media fatigue

12 Tuesday Mar 2013

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

, , , , ,

Facebook

Do you ever feel like you want to take a break from the internet? Ever feel the need to hole yourself away in some kind of peaceful commune, living 1980s style in a land without Facebook and Twitter, Pinterest and Google+, Instagram and blogs?

Because I do.

I’ve been feeling it a lot more recently. Maybe it’s because it seems the entire world is online these days, or maybe it’s because my own particular community of bloggers feels really busy right now. Or maybe it’s because – and this isn’t entirely my fault – I’m simply spending too much time on the internet. Continue reading »

Surviving without the internet (I think I’m addicted)

01 Tuesday May 2012

Posted by in Social media, Work

≈ 12 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , ,

What a photo looks like when it's not prettied up by Instagram

This was the sign that mocked me for 24 hours last weekend.

The photo is desperately ugly, showing my clunky keyboard in all its 1990s glory. That’s what happens when you take a picture on your phone, without using Instagram. This is just one of the things I realised during my 24 hour ban.

The blackout was necessary as part of my show on Heart. (So hellish was it, that I blogged about it there too. Clearly, I felt deprived of blogging to write about the same subject twice in as many days.)

The challenge came after I expressed a total lack of surprise at a story in the news last week. Apparently lots of people would rather do without heating and running water than the internet. Seems obvious really. I mean, I use the internet for pretty much everything, but I can always put on a jumper if the heating goes down or run outside to the nearest massive puddle if the water stops. Continue reading »

Do you ever lie on Facebook?

26 Thursday Jan 2012

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ 13 Comments

Tags

, , , ,

Photo Credit: "Facebook's Secret Message to Me", by Nate Bolt

 

My husband isn’t on Facebook. The (self-proclaimed) Northern Love Machine did have a page, but decided to close it down. “If I want to speak to someone, I’ll ring them,” he said. “I don’t even really know half the people on there anyway.”

He has a point.

Since I started the new job at the beginning of the month, I’ve spent more time on Facebook. I get into work at 5am and it’s one of the first sites I check. It says a lot about the age we live in, that often the “big” things people are talking about will be picked up by social networking sites before other forms of media. Continue reading »

Blogger arrested for fly-tipping

03 Thursday Mar 2011

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

, , ,

Today is a bad day. Today is a “throw your computer in the bin and sulk for the entire afternoon” day.
 
Okay, so I know yesterday I vowed to stop being such a hater. But I can’t help it. I HATE technology! And more than that, I HATE when I don’t know how to use it.
 
I spent the entire two hours of Frog’s nap this afternoon trying to work out how to add a Facebook “like” button to my blog.  (Did I mention this took me two hours?!).  This was after spending the entire one hour of her nap this morning setting up a Facebook page for said blog.
 
Well, the Facebook page is finally up and running (I know, I know, it’s easy to do, but I’m technically challenged, Okay?) but the illusive “like” button is not. It is nowhere to be seen.  So I am now less popular than a fart in a lift and currently only have two “likes” on my page.  And one of those is from a good friend, so doesn’t even count. Even my own mother doesn’t “like” my Facebook blog page (granted, she isn’t on Facebook, but even so…)
 
So, if you never hear from me again, please assume I have succumbed to one of the following:
a)      Jumped into the nearest canal after losing my mind with rage at Facebook and all technology in general.
b)      Given up blogging and all online pursuits in favour of the good old fashioned carrier pigeon and letter in a bottle.
c)      Broken the law and been arrested for fly tipping after throwing my computer into the nearest field full of cow muck.

Of course, you could save me from all of the above if you just “like” my new Facebook page. If I get at least 5 “likes” by tomorrow, maybe I’ll reconsider the carrier pigeon. Thanking you in advance. The End.

Please save me from this pigeon