“Social media is like the Hotel California. You can log out anytime you like, but you can never leave…”
Beaton wrote this and I commented something like, “Haha! That’s hilarious!” 
But, see, it’s not. I mean, it is Hotel California but it’s not really funny. If you follow.
We log out but it’s on the brain. There’s an almost imperceptible tug. (Although, for some people, it’s more like being a roped cattle.)
I have to get some shout-outs ready for (fill-in-the-blank) hashtag day.
I need to acknowledge those mentions or RT something of theirs.
I never tweeted my blog post from this week.
I’ve got to catch up on reading blogs and tweeting them.
I love this book—I wonder if the author’s on Twitter.
Ooh! Some new Harry Potter covers! I have to tweet about that!
Most of us on social media have thought one of these things at some point. Or, if not, you’ll leave a comment here saying, “Pfft! That doesn’t happen to me!” (I’d appreciate a little “how I do it” in there, if you wouldn’t mind.)
My pull from social media is fairly mild. But it’s there and I worry about that. I don’t want to get caught (any more than I already am) in the tangled web of Twitter.
Hotel California has been accused of being about a lot of different topics. That’s the beauty of this song—it’s about what it’s about but it can be applied to many situations where someone is stuck by his or her own device.
“We are all just prisoners here, of our own device.”
Can you log out any time you like? Can you really leave?
My Sunday thoughts in 200 words or less.
Lemon Shark 
Yikes, this is so true. Social media is like a drug with some people. Pretty scary when you think about it. And now I have an overwhelming desire to logoff just to prove I still can.
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I laughed at first but it is kind of scary when you think about it, right?
Go. Log out. I know you can do it. The key is not to be thinking about it once you’re logged out.
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Ha, ha…Hotel California! Well, considering that I was an early adopter of social media in my workplace, I’ve been stuck in Hotel California for over 10 years. Only difference is that now I have my own room! Such a lovely place…!
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Such a lovely face! 🙂 That’s a long time, Charli. At least you’ve had some pink champagne, though I’d rather have wine and it’s been…46 years since they had that? No, thanks.
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So painfully true!
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I think, unfortunately, so.
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For me it’s social media and blogging in general. I seriously can’t shut up about it. Even when I’m supposed to be resting, my mind is racing, almost like it’s trying to be productive every minute
Thankfully I limit social media as much as I can. I do the basics, I don’t do the ones I don’t like and I focus on the ones that I like and give me traffic. It’s tough though!
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Yes. It’s the mind racing about what you could be (or should be) doing even when you’re not online anymore. That’s what bugs me. You said something here: your mind is “trying to be productive every minute”. I find that interesting. Like, in today’s world, being productive = being online.
Yikes.
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It is hilarious, at first, it’s like the matrix, the blue matrix, ever noticed how the most popular social media sites have blue in their interface Hmmmm “riddle me this riddle me that….”
I read a somewhere that serious social media addicts have same brain pattern waves thingies as cocaine addicts (not vouching for that theory because way too scary for 5am in the morning and then I’d think about that it’s 5am in the morning why am I on the internet Ooooooh #SuperBloodMoon )
The void between us, the internet fills it and no matter where you are, the same sky and moon you see when you look, is the same I see, and still just a click away. ^_^
“We are all just prisoners here, of our own ‘devices’ “
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Right? When you first said it, I laughed. But it’s scary stuff. And that addiction fact you quoted is frightening. I wouldn’t doubt it if that’s true.
On the flip side (and why I’m talking about letting go of social media but am, obviously, still here) is the second point you make. I love that. “The void between us, the internet fills it…no matter where you are, the same sky and moon you see when you look, is the same I see, and still just a click away.” I texted some tweeps a picture last night and it was really cool that they were sitting outside looking at the same moon I was. Of course, this has always been the case, but now we know and can think about that person looking at the same sky. Corny, yes, but I love it. ❤ A digital age of:
Wishing on the same star
Looking at the same moon
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Corny yes, but so are all the sweetest lil gestures aaaaawe ❤❤❤❤
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So TOTALLY true!! How long have I been back? Not even a week and morning noon and night blog drafts festering in my head. Total writing time today 30 minutes, social media about 2 hours. Exercise 0 👿 #Failing
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You’re not failing. You’re getting back into things and have yet to find your rhythm. That is all. I’m determined to find something that works for me. May I suggest we become ‘blogging lite’ buddies? Keep each other accountable? We both need to write and stay healthy while keeping up with social media but let’s see what we can do. What say you? (I have some ideas…) 😉
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Oh yes please! That buddy thing is what I had hoped for from local writing groups etc but just find them space for egos to spout!
I have used Toggl today after reading Paula’s post, and a bit like a pedometer it did focus me a bit more on achieving rather than failing! 35 mins of Pilates under ‘back care’ project 😊 Still only 30 mins memoir writing! Will start with that tomorrow..
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Haha! A space for egos to spout. I’m sorry…I’ve seen some of those groups.
I think a buddy system would be awesome. I’ve never had a blogging buddy. 🙂
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Not addicted to Twitter but I was to Facebook. Until I deactivated and it’s been so liberating. Now I log in only when I want and don’t beat myself up about not sharing as much or interacting enough. Do what I can and when I can. Life is so much simpler 🙂
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I love that! Exactly. Do what you can when you can. Simplify and, honestly, do what works for you. No pressure. Despite social media gurus, other bloggers, or anyone who tells you that you HAVE to do so much of this, it’s not worth it if it interferes with your life or hurts you in any way. Nothing is.
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I admit I am hopelessly addicted to Twitter. Facebook is another story… If I didn’t have to maintain a FB account as part of my regular job, I don’t think I’d have an account at all.
I am amazed by people who have multiple social media accounts and are active on all of them. Twitter and FB are all I can manage.
Great post! You’ve provided some good food for thought.
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I know! How do they manage Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest…? I can’t imagine. I only have Twitter and my blog and I’m barely getting by. But I am getting by and that’s the thing. I’ve had so many people tell me I HAVE to be on Facebook and I don’t want to. This is enough. I’ll get this under control and make it enough. 😉 Thanks.
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You are so right! You are told that if you want to be a successful writer you must have a blog and you must have an account on Twitter, Facebook, StumbleUpon, LinkedIn, Tumblr . . . so when will you have time to write? 😮
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That’s the million-dollar question, isn’t it? Even without a job, home (with yard), spouse, children…it would be damn near impossible. However. People are doing it so there must be a way. And I think, after reading all the “do this” and “don’t do that” posts out there, it all comes down to finding what works for you. I guess that’s the only way to do it. ?
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I agree. I do my writing first thing in the morning. When I’m done writing then I check my blog and I divide my social media sites by days. It’s a lot of work but I’m hoping it pays off.
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Ooh, I like that idea. (Except the “first thing in the morning” thing — I’m a night owl.) But the divide-and-conquer social media strategy… Hmm.
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It is there all the time. And it takes up so much time. It’s added a whole other dimension to our lives, and I’m not sure we were given the extra hours to go along with it.
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Hadn’t thought of it that way. We were given all this extra stuff to do without any extra time to do it. Now that’s something.
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My sister suggested a calendar and to structure my blogs in a way that would give me the time to do it. Some blog daily, short blogs, long blogs. Others blog weekly. You have to figure out what works best for you. Keeping that balance is the key. For me, having a calendar and not just blogging heavy for one week and then skipping two weeks. Thanks, sis, the calendar has helped.
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I started writing a fiction blog just for a bit of fun and have found that I’m writing there quite a lot. So I have to find some balance with that, too, as well as with social media. A calendar would be helpful, I think. I just started… “A List”. Similar idea. Hope it works. *fingers crossed*
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I have a love/hate relationship with Twitter… sometimes it’s interesting, but other times I hate that it sucks me in and I feel like I have to read every tweet.
Ditto to the mind racing/feel like you should be productive all the time mind-bit.
And I don’t think you have to be on FB. I am, and it’s a pain. The reach on FB is so limited these days that I question if it’s really worth it if you’re not a serious business with a lot of cash to throw at promoted posts. An email newsletter on the the other hand… THAT is apparently the end all be all!
And a fiction blog?! Link, pretty please???
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Love/Hate relationship. Yes. Exactly. I have a Love/Hate relationship with pretty much all things online. Unfortunately. (Thank you for the “Facebook is a pain” comment. I so appreciate that. I don’t want to join…) My fiction blog is right here: Lemon Shark Reef 🙂 Hope you stop by to say hello.
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