Connections with a Click
Twitter. Facebook. Snapchat. Instagram.
On the surface, there’s nothing very social about social media. It’s just you — with a computer, smartphone, tablet, you name it — sitting around, poking at a screen.
While nothing can replace meeting for coffee or picking up the phone to chat, social media has been keeping folks connected for years, and its popularity keeps growing.
It’s fine to wait around to hear the weather report from your favorite meteorologist on TV, but keep in mind that same forecaster likely posted the information on Facebook hours earlier — and will keep updating it throughout the day.
News outlets announce breaking headlines on social media. Sports teams and businesses big, small, worldwide and local use social media to stay connected with their fans and customers.
If you feel awkward negotiating your way through the social media maze, you’ve got plenty of company. Some of the social media apps are confusing at first. The best advice? Download a few and start exploring.
Picture It
Not only is information shared the fastest on social media, but it’s also fun. With Snapchat, the photo-sharing app, you can take silly pictures and videos with the grandkids dressed as puppies or rabbits or astronauts (and lots more) thanks to Snapchat’s famous photo filters.
Snapchat tip: Press the screen when you point the camera to your face and swipe to try daily Snapchat themes. Go ahead and send it to a friend. The novelty feature is silly, unnecessary and addictive.
Like? Unlike?
If you’ve been sticking to your guns about avoiding the land of Facebook, you may want to reconsider. Sure, you don’t need Facebook to keep up with immediate friends and family you see face-to-face each day, but you could be losing touch with people you care about and not even realize it.
Increasingly, high school reunion invites are shared via Facebook. It’s also where friends and family announce engagements, share newborn pictures and post vacation photos, nurturing connections across generations and time zones.
Keeping up with millennials and younger family and friends might be easier on other social media platforms. A lot of younger people are ditching their Facebook pages (considered more as a place for those 40 and older to hang out) for Instagram and Twitter.
There’s not much difference among those apps. Each is a way to share photos, announcements, jokes, quotes and other bits of information.
Twitter is known for short bursts of thoughts, with a limit of only 140 characters per tweet to say what’s on your mind. It also includes the use of a @ symbol in front of usernames.
Instagram is only for photo sharing. Users post a photo, write a brief caption and then chat with friends via photo comments and “tagging” — mentioning another user to include in the exchange. You have to remember to tag your friend’s name with Instagram for them to receive a notification about your comment. If you don’t want to post photos to Instagram, scrolling through others’ photos is just as entertaining.
It’s Who You Know — and Don’t
Social media platforms are also fun for keeping up with your favorite celebrities, politicians and other public figures who have public accounts with millions of followers.
Keep in mind that your own social media pages should not have millions of followers. When you set up your accounts, go to the privacy settings and set the limits to what you feel the most comfortable with.
Most of us like knowing that only friends/followers can view what we’re sharing. Just like in real life, these outlets have scammers. Watch for duplicate accounts. If you are already friends with Judy Smith on Facebook and then Judy Smith sends you a friend request again, it could be a fictitious account.
The safest practice is to not accept friends/followers if you do not know the users, and let your friends know if you see multiple accounts under their name. You can also report suspicious activity to Facebook. Don’t share personal information such as your phone number or address. Change your password often to keep your privacy intact.
Another tip: Not everything you scroll through on social media is legit. Friends might post fake news stories without realizing it. Whenever you’re reading an article that’s shared, take a look at the website on which it’s posted. If it’s not a credible news source, click off the article.
Most social media platforms walk you through a step-by-step tutorial to help you navigate the site. Keep track of your usernames and passwords. Ask friends for help if you need a bit of hand-holding.
Social media keeps friends and loved ones a click away. Reach out into the world from the comfort of your living room and get ready to be informed, entertained and connected.
Sweet Tweets
Get Started with These Twitter Accounts
Follow News:
The Associated Press: @AP
The New York Times: @NYTimes
Wall Street Journal: @WSJ
The Huffington Post: @HuffingtonPost
USA TODAY: @USATODAY
Follow Business:
Business Insider: @businessinsider
Forbes: @Forbes
TIME: @TIME
Crain’s Cleveland Business: @CrainsCleveland
Follow Sports:
ESPN: @ESPN
Bleacher Report: @BleacherReport
Sports Business Radio: @SBRadio
Follow Shopping:
@AmazonDeals
@RetailMeNot
@Kohls
@Walmart
@Target
@BestBuy
@Zappos
Keep it Local:
@clemetzoo
@clevemetroparks
@KingJames (LeBron James)
@Browns
@Indians
@cavs
@monstershockey
