Status Update Overload
By barbergirl28
I beg you... no more...
Ahhhh.....
As a writer, it seems a necessary evil of writing online is to create backlinks to your stories or hubs. This is supposed to give you more credibility online and allow Google to give you a higher ranking in the world wide web. We all want our work to be read. We painfully sign up for all these places so we can continually backlink with high hopes we will be recognized for the writing genius we think we are.
Yet, when is it too much?
Social networking is a great way to get exposure. Unfortunately, unless we network with other writers, the only people we are exposing our writing too is family and friends. That does not necessarily mean you will be reaching out to the millions. In fact, I find the ones least likely to read what I wrote is my family and friends. To them, a post on Facebook from Hubpages is just another posting of spam they breeze on by without even a second glance. But I continue to post. I continue to open social networking accounts. All in hopes to get a little bit of attention.
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Social Networking at it's finest
There are several different social networking sites out there. The first one I ever signed up for was MySpace. To me it was fun. I could find cutesy little graphics and post them on my friend’s pages. I could upload a song that described how I was feeling. I could set a background picture that fit perfectly with my personality. The problem - it had become time consuming. Not only did I spend way too much updating my mood on MySpace and personalizing my profile, but if I wanted to view any of my friends pages, it took forever, even with high speed internet, because the system was too bogged down.
Then there came Facebook. Facebook is big in terms of social media. Apparently, you aren’t cool if you aren’t on Facebook. Well, at least that was what I was told before I had my Facebook account. Yet, I continued to hesitate. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to MySpace. I also wasn’t ready to spend more of my precious time on another social networking site. This, however, was before I started writing online for Hubpages. It was for social purposes only. To keep in touch with family and friends. Therefore, the only thing I did was update what I was doing, just like the vast majority of people who use Facebook for a non-networking purpose.
Then one day I saw my dad playing a game. I wanted to try it out. Yet, he didn’t want me to screw up his score on his Facebook profile. That night, I went home and opened my very own Facebook Profile, purely because I wanted to try this one game. From then on, my relationship with MySpace dwindled down to almost being nonexistent. I became involved in the world of Farmville and Bejeweled Blitz. I updated my statuses a few times a day, if not more. I was addicted, just like the majority of Facebook users. Yet, I vowed these would be the only social networking sites I would belong to… until a couple of weeks ago.
That was when RealHousewife twisted my arm. She insisted I get a Twitter account. She might have even threatened my life. That is the only thing I can think of since I had vowed to stay away from opening up another account. Either that or she has special powers of hypnosis. So off I went to join the world of tweeters! While I was at it, I went ahead and joined Google+ as well. Why not? One more can’t possibly hurt!
It was an ordinary day...
It wasn’t different from any other day. I wake up to the sounds of my son screaming to get out of the crib. I roll over and try to ignore him, yet he is persistent and eventually I give in. I go into his room with a big smile and say, “Good morning my little man!” He smiles a toothy smile and has me evacuate his blankets and anything else he can manage to grab from his bed.
After a hour or so of cartoons, the kids all get there breakfast and then I take a quick break and try to check all the sites I belong too: Facebook and Hubpages being the main two. Yet, now I have added even more sites to my “sites that I must check daily list” On top of both Facebook and Hubpages, now I am heading over to Google + and Twitter. Yet, there is so much in my feeds that I find myself skimming. Then, I try to figure out something clever to say, and my mind is a blank. I can not think of anything mildly amusing. I am obviously suffering from Status Update Overload.
If it isn’t bad enough… I can’t think of something to write as a status update… not even on one site… I find my mind can’t concentrate on my writing either. So later in the day, while my children are down for their naps, I attempt the impossible. I attempt to write something profound, funny, informative, and maybe even a little creative. Yet, pounding on the keys does nothing. I may have used every key on my laptop, but the one used the most is the backspace button.
I find I am at a loss for words!
Do you suffer from Status Update Overload?
With so many social networking sites out there, and a variety of sites to add backlinks too, suffering from Status Update Overload is a very common problem for writers. In fact, I estimate that online writers will suffer from this horrible disease several times a month (or maybe even a week) in just a matter of years! So, now that you are aware, what are the tell tale signs you are suffering from Status Update Overload.
- You find your online writing is suffering. Only weeks before you had a surplus of ideas floating in your head. One day, you wake up and all the ideas have vanished. This might come on suddenly, or it might come on slowly. You might notice this and write it off as a touch of writer’s block. Yet, what really may be happening is that you are using up all your creativity by writing status updates in your numerous social networking sites.
- Your status updates revolve around what you are eating for every meal. This is a sure sign you have run out of things to say. If you go back and look at your status updates and the last few are all meal centered, you might have a problem. No one really cares what you are eating (unless of course you are having a fabulous meal that you prepared and are sharing the recipe!)
- You start reading other people’s statuses and just liking. Your creative juices are on the down flow and therefore you can not even come up with something mildly amusing to even comment on what they said. In other words, you have run out of comebacks.
- As you try to fall asleep at night, you find yourself trying to come up with creative status updates for your profiles. This is definitely a no-no. For one, this will cause you to start having insomnia. You need to put your ideas to bed so you can get some sleep. Without the proper amount of sleep, your creativity will continue to dwindle. Save the status updates for the daytime, not when you are heading to bed.
- You leave your status updates blank… because you are at a loss for words.
Status Update Song
Comments
I loved the status update song, and posted it on facebook. There. Now I don't have to update my status again for awhile.
Well at least I can still click on the FUNNY button! Even though I have nothing clever or witty to say here.
Social networking in general can be mind-numbing and non-productive. If you must, bg, stick to Twitter. It is most helpful when you just tweet about your hubs.
See my two hubs about Twitter and marketing your writing with Tweets.
BBG - ok quit trying to act like your not genius hilarious every day! But - you've spun that thought into an excellent hub - therefore you are an excellent writer of hubs AND status updates:)!!
So now I'm going to share this on FB! Oh and Drbj - BBG and I are Facebook friends so she read your Twitter hubs while I twisted her arms! LOL
P.s. Love the picture!! Perfect!
@Summersurf - the inspiration behind this actually came because I found I was having a hard time actually publishing anything online. My mind was literally blank. So, I took a break hoping that I would be able to ease back into it the way I was before and before I knew it, I had nothing. I was actually struggling with writing. Something I don't encounter very often. Instead of the break helping, it made it worse. Hopefully now the worst is over. Makes me happy that I am not the only one being affected by this! :)
@Kimh - when I found the song I was laughing so hard. There was another one too. I can't remember the exact name, but I think it was just the Facebook Song. I posted it to my wall, so I am good for awhile too! :)
@Austinstar - thank you for clicking it funny. But I hope this hub didn't put you into the slump I was in... that would be horrible! :) If it did we will have to start telling bad jokes back and forth until one of us gets inspiration or at least a good status update from it!
@drbj - I did just open my twitter account, so I am still learning the ins and outs. I have found it is pretty fun. Especially since most of the stuff on twitter is purely for networking. Everything I write will go on twitter, whereas I am a little more choosey on what I post on Facebook, Google + and Myspace. I will definately have to check your tuturials out. I can use all the help I can get! :)
@Realhousewife - yes, but you are genius for giving me the saying that allows me to come up with these wierd and twisted hubs. After all, if you weren't twisting my arm, I would have never gotten status update overload! LOL... I knew it was that damn tweeting! LOL
Very interesting... But what if you don't meet any of those reasons and still can't seem to write a thing? Does that mean I just can't write? lol. Maybe today I will sit down and write something just for you barbergirl!
@Myth - I could be a wide variety of different things... maybe you are just to preoccupied to write. Maybe the garden gnomes attacked your creativity while you were asleep turning off your ability to write. Maybe you have too many distractions going on around you. Maybe you just aren't in the mood. Or maybe, try using a writing prompt and just writing. It works really well to say that you have to keep writing regardless for ten minutes. If you run out of something to say then you keep repeating the last word over and over again until inspiration hits you smack dab on the head and you come up with something. Some of my best stuff has come from that. It helps free your mind. Good luck - now go write! :)
Barbergirl, what a funny (and true) hub. I never know what to write in my Facebook status and spend a lot of time just reading others...mostly for pure entertainment. But so many statuses are pure rubbish, mindless babble - like "I am eating toast" (who cares?) :-)
Voted: Interesting and Useful. I relate with every word! Great job!!!
BBG - I didn't have to twist too hard - and look not only are you a GREAT writer - your typing skills are pretty great too! Maybe you could start doing mine! Lol. Also I tweeted this one - aint it grand?
Sometimes ideas come fast and furious and sometimes there is a drought. I'm in drought mode right now. Carp, I wish it would rain...
@Cloverleaf - I think the worst status updates are the ones about what your eating. I don't care what your eating... unless it is something unusual. But the act of chewing truly doesn't amuse me. I think I would rather see an absense of status updates then always making me think of food... Ha ha ... I am glad that you enjoyed it and could relate. :)
@PenmePretty - Thanks for stopping buy. Glad you enjoyed this one!
@Real - my arm still hurts a little ;) Ha ha - actually I really like twitter... you were just the final push to getting one. It actually is really useful and I get a lot of interesting information from it. Even following my favorite soap star... :)
@Austinstar - I totally feel the whole drought think. The last few that I have done have been what I like to call forced writing. It didn't really flow out of me like some of my writing does. I think I am over stressed... that doesn't help much when you are trying to write. I am hoping the forced writing pushes me out of my very own drought. Hopefully the conversations can spark an idea from one of us! :)
At least you have a cute spy baby to inspire you!
Creativity comes and goes with inspiration but your quick wit will always be a tool you can count on.
Funny because everything you read about getting read says use Twitter, facebook, and social media. But when you do, nobody reads anyway.
@Austinstar - yes yes... but be warned, he can be very very tricky. And he likes old school western songs. Never know what to expect from him... lol
@ghomefitnes - thank you very much for the nice comment. I had a long talk with my wit and said since my creativity was on vacation, it was time for wit to do some work. It struggled a little bit, but I think I should give it a pat on the back as well. :)
@John - The problem with reading stuff on the internet on what your suppossed to do to get noticed is most of it is written by people who just have an idea. I have never been all to successful with social media, but lately I started adding more networking writers to my social networking sites. This has been a big difference because not only do I share my stuff with them, they share my stuff with their friends and I share there stuff and we all get much more exposure. But in reality, if it is nothing more than family and friends, social networking isn't going to work too well. Oh yeah, and you have to get a following that takes time too. It gets frustrating, but patience is probably the only advice that is consistently true for all people. :)
OMG, I am SO overloaded just from reading this hub and comments. I gotta take a nap . . .
@Sharyn - It is a busy life as a social networker. I am starting to think we should get paid a better wage to do it! LOL - although a nap does sound pretty appealing right about now!
barbergirl! Thank you for giving voice to something I had been noticing the last few days. My status' and comments have become little more than electronic grunts. Which, believe me, can't make for a pleasant audio. Great Job! P.S. ...I poked all the good buttons up at the top there...you earned each one!
@ThoughtSandwhiches - Luckily for me I turn off the volumne on my computer. Therefore I don't get to hear all the electronic grunts. However, my only choice is to read them, that is, if there is much to read. It seems the interaction on these social networking sites is slowing down. I guess more people have status update than we really know about. It is turning into an epidemic... ;)
hmmmm...secret status update stuff. I believe you are on to something. It does slow down around these parts with the nice weather.
So.... nice weather means people don't have much to say... crummy weather means people have a lot to say. That just goes to show if people aren't complaining they have nothing to say... lol
lol...that's what I'm saying!
SummerSurf 9 months ago
With so many social networking sites and online writing sites you can easily find it taking over. At times I have nothing to say on Facebook... And twitter.. Well I rarely twitter unless to repost someone else's inspirational words for the day. Thanks for writing about what many of us are thinking.