Casting Stones Again

Our farm has used Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, at least a little bit, to keep people aware of us.  The initial motivation was to communicate with current and potential customers.  When you add the increased difficulty that comes with reliably reaching people (even if they opt in to receive emails) there hasn't been much choice for getting the word out.

I have to admit that I'm not entirely dedicated to cultivating social media followings.  For example, we've got over 130 posts on Instagram and a total of seven followers.  We've been on Twitter longer and have over 700 posts and.... six followers.  We've put more effort into Facebook... mostly because we've been on it longer.  So, to be clear, we've been dedicated in producing content, but I can say with confidence, that our farm is not a social media sensation by any measure - in part because we don't push for it.

We're just not willing to spend that much of our time on these platforms and we don't care much for the games you have to play (or the money you need to spend) to actually get more exposure.  The truly frustrating things are that we can't reliably reach people who have indicated they WANT to be reached (like friends, family and our best customers using these tools AND I end up subjecting myself to so much material that I really never wanted to see in the first place.  Things that have little apparent value (in my opinion).  

For example, memes and short, badly written, articles that fail to confirm facts or are written to spread misinformation appear frequently.  If that isn't bad enough, we are then treated (?) to commentary that we all might have been better off if we had not seen it.

"People are freaking idiots."  "Really, anyone who believes this is just plain stupid."  "Well, of course the (fill in the blank) people are clueless."

It's almost as if they want to beet each other up?

It's really very easy to forget that posts on Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites are intended to elicit response.  And, the more passionate and inflammatory the response, the more attention (and hits) it will get.  Talk about a great way to encourage people to skirt the facts - or at least come up with a title that will get us to look, even though it is inaccurate.

It becomes worse when you consider these things:

1. Internet rage IS a thing now.
2. Social media addiction is actually featured now on the Addiction Center site with things like alcohol and opiates.
3. And it has gotten to the point where we are studying anger expression when internet access is slowed or denied.
   

Here... some flowers will help to calm you.

It's not just the writing, it's the images too.  Let's just say that it is an eye opening experience if you visit a social media site and let it send you the generic content that it thinks is most popular with the "generic" person.  

I know this is partly my fault because I do not spend time on Twitter and Instagram feeding their algorithms so they can figure out what I "want" to be seeing.  But, I find it instructional to view what the initial baseline is... and it isn't pretty.  The stuff they throw my way when they have next to no data on my preferences makes me wonder if I have anything in common with the majority of people in the world anymore.

These eggs found quarters on the sidewalk.  What happens next will SHOCK you!

Anyway, some of the questionable techniques used by "influencers" on our "social media" platforms that so many of us spend WAY too much time on are annoyingly successful.  So successful, that I am considering how I could use this technique to get the materials I have produced over the years just a little bit more attention.

And before you think I am ranting about OTHER PEOPLE, I feel that I also spend way too much time on social media.  The difference is that, in my case, it often has something to do with my work, or promoting our farm, or sharing my writing.

I am just a sad example of a person who still feels as if there are opportunities to share positive, valuable and useful experiences on the internet, on a blog, or in social media.  I even saw a glimmer of hope when the pandemic forced more isolation on most of us and those who were intent on sharing real talent found it was about the only way to do so.

Eight Subtle Ways Chickens Will Tell You They Want Food (#5 is actually not all that big a deal!)

After all, it does get frustrating when you actually produce something that you think is quality writing or is a useful and positive message - and it goes nowhere.  Or maybe, your farm has a whole bunch of produce that really needs to find a home and no one sees the post that advertises it.

I think it must be my failure to fully embrace social media.  If I just spent a few more hours a day sharing, liking, and ... um... writing provocative (but misleading) titles, I bet I could do so much better.  And, yes, maybe I should consider updating my wardrobe.  What do you think?

You Won't Believe the 24 Things These People Found in Boxes (#14 will drop your jaw and it (your jaw) will bounce on the ground!)

But, seriously, what bothers me most is how willing we are to allow social media to attract us to the lowest quality materials.  Or, if not that, how quick we are to view things that are designed to promote conflict, encouraging us to assume the worst of those who have an opinion different than ours. I find myself feeling a bit down when I see someone I have had great respect for exhibit signs that they are succumbing to a possible social media addiction.

Consider this: odds are that half of the people you encounter each and every day will give a simple answer to a politically or ethically loaded question that you would strongly disagree with.  But, if you were given an opportunity to spend some time with many of these people you would disagree with, you would find that a few things (at least) are true...

1.  They are not necessarily idiots or evil or ... whatever anyone who disagrees with you might be.
2.  If given a chance, you will find some common ground  with most of these people - even potentially on the subject that might otherwise cause you to call them bad names.
3. Very few people actually do want to actually see someone they have any kind of connection come to harm and would rather seem them do well in life.
   

I don't know about you, but I'd rather collect more friends than enemies.  And, oddly enough, I'm willing to respect that my friends don't always agree with me.  After all, that's what friends do.  But, maybe that's not true if you are a "friend" on social media.

Power companies hate him for this one simple trick.