"Wow, MySpace is so cool nothing will ever beat this!"Ava Aston 2006That was a quote from me more than 4 years ago. I feel so foolish now. Despite my MySpace profile having more than 1 million page views, I must admit I rarely use it anymore except to update my music and to touch base with my fans. You can check out my MySpace page here.
I really just use Facebook almost exclusively now. You can check out my Facebook page here. And while you are there, please click on "like". Thanks. This time, I am not putting my Greek neck on the line and saying nothing will ever top Facebook, because I am sure something will. I hope I invent it! I could then sell it for a billion dollars.
I have also been lured into the Twitter trap. It's quick, it's fun and it's a great way to let people know I am eating potato soup for lunch! I can even Tweet them this photo!
Ok, so in case you must know what I am having for lunch tomorrow I can be followed on Twitter here.
Shameless plugs aside, the real point of today's blog post was to look at the muckery in my life B.S.N. (Before Social Networking) I am such a scatterbrain I am glad that I only have to go back a few short years in the deep dark crevasse of my noggin to come up with the ways I had to do things the "Old School" way or B.S.N.
Music Gigs
B.S.N. : Design a flyer and send to everyone on my mailing list. Each show would take about 3 - 4 hours to market. Cost: $100+ in printing and postage.
With Social Networking : I just post a notice on my wall about my upcoming gigs. It takes less than a minute and it's free. I can reach thousands and thousands of my fans simultaneously. And since my Twitter, Facebook and MySpace accounts are all linked -- I only have to do it once and I get the message out on all 3 sites. Cost:Free
Sneaker Shopping
B.S.N.: I had to run around from store to store looking for good deals on the latest sneakers. It was just total muckery I tell you. And it took forever. Cost: A Tank of Gas
With Social Networking : I can tweet what style of sneaker I am looking for and within a few short minutes I get all sorts of leads on where I can go get my newest sneaker crush. It allows me more time to work out and stay home with my doggies instead of running all over Manhattan. Cost: Free
News
B.S.N.: We all had to watch the news and read newspapers, usually hours after events happened. It was all one-sided. They spoke and we listened (or read)
With Social Networking: Things are reported instantaneous. We can get Tweet updates from places like TMZ and I now can learn important things like that Lindsay Lohan has relapsed. And I can learn that even before she has left the rehab treatment center. (Well, OK I guess that is just a gimme, and I didn't need social networking to know that)
But are you noticing a trend here? By using social networking I am working a lot less harder and things are cheaper to get done. That is music to any Greek girl's ears. We love to work less and save money--well, not really save money. We (at least I do) love to only spend money on things I want to spend it on ie; sneakers, chocolate, coffee drinks and anything at Superdry or Kohl's.
I know some people will disagree with the convenience of social networking and their argument will be that it is destroying the communication skills of our young people. I totally disagree and I think it is just older generations who are saying that. I say just embrace it.
It is making my life a whole bunch easier. I know my manager Mr. Bricks (hence my belief it is the older generation) has not yet got with the social networking program. But then again, Mr. Bricks might be one Tweet short of a gigabyte anyway. Part of his problem is his cell phone, computer are all pre-Nixon era. I think if he went on Antiques Roadshow with them he would make a fortune - just sayin'.
Some of the real pitfalls of social networking are that you can no longer dodge your friends as easily as before. In the B.S.N. days you could tell a friend that you didn't get their phone call or that your machine deleted all of the messages. But now with social networking anyone can look at your various walls and see that their post to you is still there and that you are just ignoring them. If they Tweet or text and you don't respond, well then sometimes they continue non-stop until they get a response.
They know you are alive and not dead because it is as if they can see your virtual heart beat. They can follow your every move. They see that you are Tweeting about how it sucks that the heater in your car broke. They can see the Facebook post that says you just gave them a brown cow on Farmville. They can marvel at how you just had a score of 425,228 on Bejeweled Blitz or that you advanced to the next level of Mafia Wars. If you don't want them to know all of that, I have two words for you: Privacy Settings.
So yes, there are obvious downsides of social networking, but I think we are all better off than Before Social Networking.
Blessings,
Ava
xox
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