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  • A Year for More Picnics: Logging Off to Live Better

    Posted on January 18th, 2012 by amy and currently 8 commenting.

    According to a 2011 Nielsen study, Americans spent 53.5 billion total minutes on Facebook last May. Collectively, that factors out to roughly 101,720 years – in a month. On a per user level, that means each user spent about 6.5 hours (roughly a full work day) of their life each month scrolling through status updates.

    Our newest Brains on Fire client hails from the DIY world. As we have delved into their universe, it has given me pause to consider the ways in which I use my hands. Along the way, I have come to the conclusion that I spend entirely too much time typing, scrolling and clicking, and not nearly enough time creating, exploring and doing.

    A few months ago, I blogged about my predictions for the future of Word of Mouth Marketing: The Art of We. More recently, Robbin blogged about how Unplugging is the New Black. As we continue to put increased value on personal time, real life and real time, I expect we will also begin to consider the things we do (or don’t do) with our time and our hands, and how those choices add to or detract from our quality of life.

    You often hear people wish for “an extra hour in the day.” We could do a lot with 6.5 extra hours per week. Meet a friend for coffee. Write and mail a real letter. Take the dog for a walk. Opt for the scenic route. Go on a picnic. Visit a library.

    I am willing to bet there has never been a person in history who reached to the end of their life and wished they had taken fewer picnics. I doubt any of us will wish we had spent more time tweeting.

    My Klout score is about to take a big hit, because this year I am making a commitment to spend less personal time online – and start making better use of my minutes and my hands. I want to create more and click less. I want to experience things as they happen – instead of retrospectively through the social media lens. I want to document my life in precious memories and present moments, not scrolling backwards through a virtual timeline.

    Your turn to chime in: How do you find balance between your real life and social media life? Do you feel your use of social media hinders your ability to enjoy your real life to the fullest? What would you like to do with your time and hands in 2012?

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  • http://www.nail.cc/ Jaki

    I can’t believe we, as a society, waste that much time.

    For me, social media is a distraction and a time killer. It doesn’t prevent me from living life to the fullest or being active, but it does cause me to drift away while I’m crashed on the couch for the evening. But still, my time would be better spent reading a book or having a ‘real’ conversation with someone. Facebook should give us the option to prevent access to ones account for a specified number of hours/days. I can’t see them doing that, but maybe someone else should come up with it. It’s a great point you bring up though about us reaching the end of our lives and none of us wishing we spent more time tweeting/on facebook. I think that is a powerful thing for everyone to read and consider.Good luck unplugging! :)  

  • Liz

    Actually, I’m always thinking I wish I posted more pictures and more videos about what I’ve been up to, but I don’t have the motivation to spend that much time online. I feel that the online community is supposed to be a reflection of all the great stuff we’re doing in real life. If nothing were going on in real life, there would be nothing to put online.

  • http://twitter.com/jamieplesser Jamie Plesser

    Interesting post Amy.  I infer an argument here in your write-up that is about online versus offline.  Where online (and digital social media) = bad.  And offline = good.

    Instead, I’d ask you to think about them in combination and how they work together.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it here, for me the best payoff with digital social media is the offline payoff.  

    I’ve found great recommendations for things to do on my vacation while actually on my vacation.  I’ve found amazing Thai restaurants in San Francisco while wandering around Union Square.  It brings a fun dimension to the multitude of concerts that I attend to see what people are saying about it live in real time on Twitter or what pictures they are sharing via Instagram.

    I’m not advocating that digital social is the end all be all.  Far from it.  But I’d encourage you to not just think about it as an either/or scenario.

  • http://twitter.com/NoMeatballs Amy

    Great points, Jamie. I definitely don’t deny the practical and beneficial applications of social media. The TOOLS in themselves are great. But I have just noticed that as far as being “present” in real life, this (self-imposed?) compulsion to be plugged in and constantly “in the know” has started to take a noticeable effect on human interaction. I can’t remember the last time I went to dinner with friends and people weren’t constantly checking their phones. I sat at the airport this weekend and watched people eating dinner with their laptops on as they typed into their smart phones. I know people who will turn the car around if they forget their phone, because they can’t stand to GO TO A MOVIE without having their iphone in their pocket. It’s the tethering to the technology, not the technology itself, that I find problematic.  

    Like anything, SM has its place. It’s just a matter of moderation. I just don’t want to reach the end of my life to find that I’ve done a really great DOCUMENTING it, but a really poor job living it. Hopefully this year will be the year I find a better balance. 

    Thanks for the great comment! 

  • http://twitter.com/NoMeatballs Amy

    Jaki,

    Genius idea. Can you imagine what would happen if we could give ourselves self-imposed unpluggings? I imagine a lot of people wandering around with the social media shakes. (Myself included.)  :) Thanks for the comment! 

  • http://twitter.com/NoMeatballs Amy

    Great points, Liz. Thanks for sharing your thoughts! 

  • Jana Brunken

    I’m with you, Amy. I set a goal for 2012 to create more. However, once I’ve reflected on that a bit, I’m realizing that more than creating, I really just want to unplug and be open to other possibilities.

    I’m not going to impose any specific limits on myself, but will make sure I always have alternatives available to craft/create projects, to read/learn from books, to connect/reconnect with the people I love.  So, that when the mindless clicking/surfing/stalking begins, I can easily just step away from the laptop/phone/other mobile device.

  • http://twitter.com/NoMeatballs Amy

    Jana,

    That sounds like a very healthy realization and plan. I even think there is a place for social media/technology in that equation (For me, Pinterest has become a source of GREAT craft inspiration.) 

    Let me know how it goes for you. I hope your year is filled with balance, creativity – and most importantly…fulfillment.