Thursday 9 May

Blog Every Day in May - Social Media

My favourite social media website is Facebook by far. Although I'm active on a few other social media sites, such as Twitter and Pinterest, it is Facebook I would miss the most.

I joined back in 2008 (I had no idea - had to go and check that!) and I can't remember how soon I became active. Pretty soon I would have thought, as I enjoyed reading other people's statuses and wanted to add my own. Over the years it has become almost like a diary. I post something most days, although if nothing exciting happens I stay quiet - I prefer to post about things that you would talk to people in real life about. It's a mixture of what I've been up to, things the children have done or said, and photographs. I'd like to think it reflects me as the person I am.

I have a fairly small group of friends compared to some users, and they are a mixture of real-life friends, work colleagues, people from my past and people I have got to know online. In some cases I have got to know someone better through Facebook and have become closer friends. I don't believe it's not possible to make friends online.

Both Facebook and Twitter are for me a line to the outside world on days I work from home. Much as I enjoy working from home, it can also be a lonely place with nobody to talk to or have a joke with. Having Facebook open is like having a chat with your colleague at the desk next to you and makes the day seem less long.

Facebook isn't perfect. It has happened more than once that I had all my settings just as I liked them, only for Facebook to change something and me to spend weeks getting it back to how I like it. I think it can be a dangerous place, and is definitely not a place for young children. I try to keep politics and religious views out of my timeline as it is far too easy to respond in a hurtful, insulting way. But if used sensibly, I think it can be an enjoyable part of your digital life.