Being a Millenial myself (even though I’m a lot different than most of my peers in the same generation), I’ve grown up on mostly graphical (or as I say visual) user interfaces, the Web, Instant Messaging and Social networking or social media.

With my delays in life, I didn’t socialize that much online till my teenage years. I’ve also never went on list-serves because it would advertise my identity. My mother overprotected me and was afraid people would take advantage of me. The teachers were too old to use AIM by a few years. The only social media they knew was Match. Other lessons were basically biased as if the individual was already convicted for being a creep. Positivity with social media or social networking is hard to come by. Not only that but card-carrying women who say computers are boy things, and whining about how complicated they are and not understanding the platform or application doesn’t help matters ether,

Otherwise:

I knew about “relationship statuses” way before it became into the lexicon.

I knew about “MySpace friends” before Facebook Myspaced them and then had “Facebook friends”

I knew the “friends” I’d talk to were never going to be real life friends as early as 2007 and 08.

I knew it.

Over the years, I’ve embraced social media instead. Assuming you don’t use it to be-friend people. If you know risks (and about 95% my cases I know my risks) you should be fine. Pay attention to URLs against “screen names” and like how I got my Avaya PBX, I did a two-step challenge, (“enlighten me” and paid through PayPal until I received it) and just don’t offend people.

I’ve used Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, several other blogs on the autism subject (no longer online) and a few online boards.

What I’ve learned with social media is

• It is the modern day CB/HAM equivalent
• You can have some relationship but know it may not be real friends
• That you can aggregate or send out information in a timely manner
•  If people really value your work, they’ll contribute by sending replies or emails.
• And emails in itself can be close, but not too close.
• It enables transparency, and it enables people to be more open and sharing. The people who think Facebook or Twitter should be a secret diary are ones who are paranoid or corrupt

Basically you would need to know social boundaries, not go too far in conversations. This took many years for me to understand, and severed ties with real world people and the social media/stranger type people too.

The cool things you can do on social media

• Reach out to C-listed celebs like Max Robbins, the former TV guy on The Howie Carr Show, news talent like Phil Lipof from WCVB (and WABC-TV in NY) who totally embraces his fans and social media. I still get a kick how local TV media will embrace feedback (even if its “inside baseball” type of Tweets)
• Complain about a company, brand, service, etc and get somewhat of an immediate response (but don’t bitch for the sake of bitching is my rule of thumb)
• Make movements and be an agent of change
• If you are news or media junkie, Twitter (or Facebook) is like the poor mans’ wire service.

I do know that I may not have many friends, I’m aware of it and I know I’m a difficult person. I’ve settled with that. But there is so much negativity about it, that some times people need to find the positives in the world of cyber media.

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