Making Your Social Media, Less Social. Why It’s OK to Make Your Personal FB Page, Personal

Photo by Martin Shreder on Unsplash

So earlier today, after some thought, I decided to make my social media a little less social and a lot more meaningful. Take FB for example. I had nearly a 1000 friends on my personal page and couldn’t even place at least 200 of them. I couldn’t recognise who they were, let alone could call them a ‘friend’.

I also had tons of people I never connect with on that handle or know despite following on other platforms- and with a public blog page and of course FB’s option to allow anyone to follow your public statuses, I decided to carve out a space just for me. A place I can simply share anything I fancy with people online as I would in real life.

So I know what you’re thinking, why not just unfollow lots of peeps?

Because that doesn’t stop others from seeing my own pictures and statuses.

…So simply set up another page?

Yep, tried that last year but the way FB promotes itself meant a lot of people (again, mostly those I barely knew) would request to add me again- so making a clean break seemed best.

A spring clean in the summer if you like.

And here’s the thing. I don’t think anyone cares a dot anyway. The people I wasn’t connecting with weren’t connecting with me either so it’s all good.

It also wasn’t anything personal to anyone, it’s my fault I accepted friend requests when I wasn’t sure who those people were etc or stayed friends with those I don’t really know, or now, no longer know.

Because that’s life, you move on and it’s normal to outgrow people and they, you.

Friendships don’t have to last forever.  And just because you like people you’ve met a few times in real life, doesn’t mean they have to be your mate online.

…While I’m a public facing blogger and vlogger and love what I do, I think we all, whatever our jobs, deserve a personal space online.

On insta, twitter, FB, wherever.

So why am I writing this?

Because a lot of other bloggers read this site and going from the (public) status I wrote on my personal page about #cullgate and not wanting to offend anyone, other bloggers had said they felt inspired to do the same.

And it’s not just blogger who feel obliged to accept and retain ‘friendships’ online.

We need to liberate ourselves.

It’s not our duty to be mates with the world, folks.

It’s not unkind to recognise you can’t possibly have an interest/ bond with that many people.

I don’t even have a hundred let alone a thousand friends IRL. Who does?

And, for me it’s come at a time I want a little more control of my online life.

I use Linkedin for work related contacts and twitter, and simply want to keep my personal FB page to well, feel a little more personal.

Yes, I will still share public statuses and blog posts on my personal page- and as FB has a follow button, those who are interested in following me can, but I also want to feel comfortable to share more private moments too.

Just because you blog and vlog doesn’t mean you have to share everything.

I’m selective over what I share on this site- and that’s exactly what makes blogging and vlogging so empowering. Yes you can’t control people’s reactions, but you CAN control your output.

 

So why not operate in the same way on FB or any other social media platforms.

Your profile, your rules, I say.

You just need the confidence.

You don’t have to people-please.

Do what makes you happy.

I’d love to read your thoughts.

 

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