With the shift to so many digital things, it seems the “e-” prefix can be attached to anything: e-book, e-commerce, e-trading, e-business, e-signature, e-etc. As 2014 approaches, I propose a new e-thing: e-hermitage! E-Hermitage I’ve written about my experiences taking a 101-day social media break. I even followed up with additional thoughts after returning. I […]
Unplugging from the Internet
I know I can go 101 days without social media. Giving up Twitter, Google+, and especially Facebook isn’t too tough for me. I can go without a telephone, too. (I’m also not much of a fan of text messages.) The one thing I always check daily, though, is email. So…this past weekend, I unplugged it […]
Why Take a Social Media Break?
I like social media. I like staying in touch with friends from other places, chatting with people about writing and publishing, and finding people with similar hobbies and discussing them. Even at my quietest, years ago when I was terribly shy, I liked people. I love the Internet for no other reason than it’s brought […]
After the Social Media Break
At 8:00 p.m. last Wednesday night, I returned to social media. I recently wrote about the 101-day social media break here. And now, some thoughts upon returning… The First Thing Upon returning to social media, the first thing I checked was Facebook. And the first thing I saw? A rant about how stupid Black Friday […]
101 Days Without Social Media
Today at 8:00 p.m. is the end: 101 days without social media. I made it. I’d like to say it had a profound effect on me. In some ways, at least initially, it did. Then it was just a no-issue kind of thing I didn’t think about much. It was no longer, “I’m giving something […]
Social Media Break (Day 65)
I haven’t mentioned the social media break in over two weeks. That’s because social media really isn’t much of a thought anymore. It seems like a distant memory. There’s no strong desire to take part, but there’s also no disdain for it. It’s like golf, scrapbooking, or cup stacking (commentary at :24 seconds in) — […]
Social Media Break (50 Days)
This morning, I’d have been back… I’d have been back to Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus. I’d have been back on social media sites, all the wiser after taking a 50-day break. But CMStewart dared me to go 100 days, and who am I to pass by on a dare? (I’m actually going 101 days.) […]
The Social Media Break (Week Six)
If my 50-day social media break were Lent, I’d be back online. If I hadn’t decided to push the break to 101 days, a week and a day from today, I’d be back online. It’s funny how time’s dragged in ways, but also how it’s flown by. The Ups and Downs I’ve noticed that since […]
A Month Without Social Media
Originally, tomorrow morning would have been the day — the day that I went back to Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. Four weeks ago on my personal Facebook account, I mentioned that I was thinking about taking a 30-day social media break. Friends dared me to do it, and 30 days became 50. After being dared […]
Three Weeks without Social Media
Something interesting happened this past week — my third week without social media. An explosion of ideas hit. I’m never at a loss for writing ideas; that always comes first! But I realized that I haven’t really thought about ways to promote all I’m doing because it’s so easy to post stuff on Facebook, Twitter, […]
I Dare You to Take a Social Media Break
Today would have been the first day of a 30-day social media break for me. I’m more than two weeks into the break, though. I did it sooner than planned because I was dared. The Power of a Dare I like a good dare. In my early 20s, I went vegetarian for years on a […]
Two Weeks without Social Media
Two weeks into my 50-day social media break, I no longer find myself going to Facebook, Twitter, or Google+ out of reflex. It took two weeks, but it’s gone now. And in its place, there’s a sense of peace between my writing time and time spent online again. It’s nice checking email in the morning […]
The Web’s Effect on Writing
Yesterday, I read this article on Lifehacker about how surfing the Web at work can make people more productive. I wasn’t surprised to hear this. While I work at a desk with a great view of a lake and have everything I need to do my job as a technical writer, aspects of my job […]