New slang when you notice the stripes, the dirt in your fries.

What was the last social media platform you posted to?

What was the nature of the post?

How big was your intended audience?

Did it get “likes?”

How many social media platforms do you use on a regular basis?

Female, 21

Instagram- not a selfie- small audience-4 likes-4 social media platforms

Male, 21

Tumblr-re-blog of images-big audience- no likes- 6 social media platforms

Male, 18

Re-tweet-funny video-small audience- no likes- 6 social media platforms

Male, 25

Instagram-not a selfie-small audience-7 likes-6 social media platforms

I also asked what I thought their average follower number is and all thought it was somewhere between 100-200 people.

The intent was for personal expression with the exception of the tumblr post. None of their posts were supposed to evoke any reaction, per se.

 I asked a few of my friends, who are a bit (ah-em) older.

Male, 43

Uses mostly Instagram, but does have a FB account.

Female, 44

Has tried a bunch of social media avenues, used to like Twitter, but now sticks with FB, with pics going to Instagram too.

Male, 37

Has a FB account, checks it once a month. Never posts anything.

The general answers for the questions were-it was for a small audience, selfies are stupid, and it probably got likes. They would have to check.

To be honest, I forgot what the average follower number was for them. They probably wouldn’t know without looking.

There is nothing earth shattering about my findings to be honest.

The next post will be some of the interesting things that people have done using social media and I will spend a day in the life with FB. 

Ballroom Blitz!

Social Media.

It is quite a complex beast.I have decided to devote a handful of blog posts to this and I hope to gain some kind of understanding or at least acceptance of my attitude and behavior towards it.
In the past couple of weeks I have participated in some debates about the subject. Also, to the horror of my friend's teenage daughters, posted to multiple social media outlets with their mother's at one time. Exclaiming with a figurative high five that our social media experience was successful.

There seems to be multiple layers of  "success" (I can't think of a better word) in social media.

First, identify the nature of the post. 
-Personal (I have a headache kind of remark)
-Political (there are so many subcategories here, but that is for a different time)
-Remark on something else on a particular social media
-Current event
-Advertising (your art show, friend's art show that sort of thing)
-Link to something else (GoFundMe, Buzzfeed quiz)
-Other (Because I am sure I forgot  a million somethings)
Type of post-
-Text (Words, not the other kind of communication that one does on a phone)
-Photo
-Link
Intent of the post
-Funny
-Opinion
-Commentary
-Provocative
-Mad
-Verbal Diarrhea (I will get to that one later)
Where?
Fbook
Tumblr
 Blog (too many avenues to name)
Instagram
Vine
Snap Chat
Twitter
and so on, and so on.

Once these three things are established then a post can be presented to the information superhighway via social media.
Like I stated before, I am putting together some posts about social media and user.
Using the three scheme system-
Nature of post- Personal
Type- Text
Intent-Commentary, opinion, with a side of verbal diarrhea.
Where- my blog.
Okay! A presented this set up to a friend and their comment was, "oh novice user, there are more components to be considered."  Really?
Yes.
Some more questions and considerations.
Who do you want to see it?
What time is it where you are located? 
What are the best times to post for the most viewing?
Is the intent to connect with someone or many? 
Depending on the media chosen is getting validated or "likes" important. Is re-posting an option?

To use social media and be successful for an individual there is a good chance that all of these factors are not considered. But thinking about a library, or an artist, or rock band, or small business (or big business for that matter) many if not all of these considerations must be mulled over before the publish button is pushed.

I got a dress the other day and the women at the store had a hashtag for her product, so if you are wearing the dress and snap a photo of it. Tag it on social media. This piggyback will be the next installment of me versus the volcano.

Apparently, there are books about this, but what kind of fun would that be?