Too Much Strolling on Facebook Lately

     As I was scrolling through Facebook and looking back at my own posts today I noticed that it is slowly just becoming a place for advertising and forwarding. People, at least the people on my wall, rarely communicate with each other anymore. It isn't that they don't have time because I see that they are on Facebook forwarding etc, they just aren't commenting. When I worked for a writing site they called that strolling and it was against our site rules. Of course they can't make it against Facebook rules but it is my wish that people start communicating instead of strolling.

     Don't get me wrong, I like that we can advertise things we do on Facebook, I love that there are forwards and neat things to look at. What makes me sad is that it seems like that is all it is about anymore though. Yes some people still do actually communicate there and actually post things that are going on in their lives but the majority of the site is advertising and strolling..

     Ok so I will explain strolling...it is just like when you stroll in real life, you just walk on by something and click this mindless "like" and move on to something else without really knowing what you liked. You just strolled on by. I have been guilty of that too and am trying very hard to try to really see what people are writing and to communicate.

     The reason I thought of this today was I was looking through my own Facebook wall and noticed if I post about my life or family etc I get very few comments, if any, and the ones I do get are from people I talk to on a regular basis in real life. If I were to post something controversial though many of those who don't even acknowledge I exist would be on top of it and putting in their two cents worth for sure. But otherwise they stroll on by. That makes it all seem so impersonal and sad to me.

     I have noticed when I stroll on Facebook it is very boring. I find that I waste a lot of time just strolling along not really benefiting at all from what I see nor staying in touch with what is going on in the lives of my friends and loved ones and well, that is what Facebook is supposed to be about, that is why I joined.

     I plan to communicate more on Facebook since that is why I joined it. I won't be on there every day communicating because life keeps me busy but I am not going to just stroll either. Sometimes I might stroll by and like things if I'm killing some time but when I am serious about it I will communicate. I hope others do the same. It will make Facebook a lot more fun.

Facebook Becoming Impersonal

     I can't even remember when I joined Facebook but it was long ago. I had never joined Myspace because it was such a superficial site but when Facebook came along I found it to be a great place to find and stay in touch with old friends. The tides have turned though and I find that Facebook is not as interesting or as fun as it used to be. It is becoming an extremely superficial and boring place lately. It seems like people don't use it to communicate anymore which is what I used to love about it.

     I loved to check out what my friends were up to through Facebook. I have enjoyed finding old friends there too. It is also a great place to advertise my writing. However of late I find that most people no longer really communicate there. It has become a place where people forward, forward and once in a while comment. I write posts hoping to spark a conversation but only get likes and a random comment from people I talk to in person most of the time anyhow.

     Don't get me wrong, I have been guilty of skimming along and just hitting that like button because it is fast and it is easy. However I realize  recently that it is all just too impersonal and the likes, while appreciated, are not the same as actual communication. I feel like it is a place people go to mindlessly pass time. I find my own self just skimming around for a while wondering why I even bother. I wonder why I am there and well, don't find much about my friends and what is happening in their lives because no one really puts much out there anymore.. I just think we have all strayed from communicating with each other and society as a whole is becoming too detached with each other as humans. I know that for most it isn't that they are too busy because they are on Facebook, just not communicating much.

     I don't spend much time on Facebook anymore, there are a lot of forwards and such which I find interesting sometimes however most of the time I just pass on by. So my goal is to try to communicate more, I mean that is why I joined. I am going to strive to limit the forwards I share and to share more of what's up in my life. I hope that it can become a place to keep and stay in touch again with those who I don't get to see on a regular basis.

Valentine's Day: The Most Superficial Holiday of All

     I have never liked Valentine's Day as an adult. When I was married I did not like it and I don't like it as a single person. I guess there was a time I did like it but that was when I was a kid making cards and valentine boxes. I also liked it when my kids were young because I liked helping them make boxes so I guess I did like it as an adult but not in an adult way. But other than that, as an adult I really do dislike this holiday of "love".
     
     I am sure many wonder why I do not like Valentine's Day. Well I think it is a holiday for stores to sell candy people cannot afford and certainly do not need. It is a time for that husband who cheats on his wife all year long to buy her a bouquet of flowers or some beautiful jewelry so he can feel better for being such a cad and cheat. It is also a time for many people to buy gifts for their significant other to appear loving and wonderful to others around them when all the while they treat their spouse like they hate them behind closed doors.

     It is also another time for people to show love to those they say they love that they should be showing all year long. It is very superficial to take people for granted and treat them horribly all year long but on this one day, buy flowers, candy and trinkets to "show you care." 

     Granted, there are those who show the same love all year that they show on Valentine's Day. They buy the gifts just because they care, they show that same love on the 3rd of Feb that they show on the 14th. But for the many the love on Valentine's Day is a superficial kind of love and it is a superficial kind of day. 

     I think it is fine to buy a card or even gifts on Valentine's Day and I am sure people feel happy to receive them but, I don't think people should feel sad if they get nothing, I would hope they do not feel unloved because the love on that one day is not always the true love that we feel all year when our loved ones do really show they care.
     
     For me Valentine's Day will come and it will go without much thought. I love my family and friends every day of the year just the same and do not feel the need for a holiday in which to show that love.

Children Should Be Given Time to Recharge in School

     I read today about a school in Texas where they decided to give kids more recess time, more free time, more unstructured play time. The administrators were worried this experiment would fail however they have found kids are doing much better in school. They are listening better, paying attention better and getting more accomplished than before when they were worn to a frazzle each day with limited free time.

     It amazes me how adults never stop to think that kids are just small people who are subject to the same stressors and feelings we adults have. Think about it, how do you feel as an adult when you work all of the time, rarely finding time to rest, relax, or just simply play? You feel restless, and find it hard to focus on tasks set before you. We all need time to recharge our internal batteries, we all need time to unwind and we all stress out when worked too hard.  I know this is how I feel when I am working too hard. I become overly stressed and have a hard time focusing on things I need to accomplish.

     So, then why do administrators do this to children? They must think these young people who have experienced so little in life are super human and able to handle stress that adults struggle handling. Children go to school and in some schools begin their work day while eating breakfast. Almost every second of their school day is structured from the time they arrive until the time they leave in the afternoon. The younger students get recess in the afternoon if their work is done. The older students get one recess break before lunch. Usually that is 10-15 minutes long. That is about all. These young people work hard all day long, they listen, sit still and are expected to learn without ever really getting to re-charge.

     I find it sad that so many administrators around the United States believe working children this hard is the way they will learn. Learning is stressful and well in all honesty I can't see how it is fun for these young people. So that said, it is no wonder the drop out rate in the US is so high.  I commend Texas for giving more recess a try. Kids need to have fun, they need frequent breaks, they need to play and re-charge so they can learn.

   

Online Job Search Sites: How You Present Yourself on Social Media Strongly Impacts Your Hireability

   I belong to a few different Help Wanted sites on Facebook. They are great places to aid in the hunt for a job. Many businesses use these sites to help them find employees. I have noticed lately though that they are turning into places for people to ask for handouts but mostly I notice the lack of professionalism on the part of those looking for work. If I were searching for someone to hire I would not hire many of the people on these sites because they present themselves poorly.

     The  use of "text" talk and lack of grammar is one thing that would deter me from hiring someone. If you are too lazy to type out please and thank you then well, I would find you are too lazy to work. I understand that texting can be a pain and many are posting from their phones but, this is a place to present yourself for hire, make sure you present yourself as someone who is worth hiring. I wouldn't hire someone to work in my office if they either couldn't spell simple words like clothes. Yes I've seen people spell clothes as close. That is a grade school word and well if you don't know how to spell it, look it up. 

     If I were looking on this site to hire someone I would also go to their personal Facebook page to see what kind of person they are. Personally I would not hire many of these people because they are very foul mouthed and vulgar on their personal wall. Yes it is their wall but if they want to be hired for a position they apply for on an online Help Wanted site, they should either clean up their Facebook wall or adjust their settings so the employers can't see their wall. It is their wall and they do have a right to it but, it also says who they are and well, you would not walk into a job interview using vulgar language expecting that place to hire you so, don't put yourself out there on social media expecting that you will be hired. Most respectable businesses will pass right on by.

    The thing that has been bothering me the most is how people are using these sites to ask for help. Granted we all need help from time to time but using a site where people are looking for work or businesses are looking for someone to employ is not the place to ask for things such as food, clothes etc while also asking for a job. You would not walk into a job interview and ask for them to give you food and shelter. 

     Social media is the world we live in today and it is a great tool for many things. It is a helpful way for people to look for a job and a way for employers to weed through prospective employees. So with this in mind, remember that you are selling yourself to the employers by putting yourself out there. Don't present yourself as a hardship case, don't present yourself as ignorant and don't present yourself as vulgar. Present yourself  as someone they would deem as a beneficial addition to their business.

Multitasking: Something's Always Left Undone

     I am a multi tasker-I can make dinner, clean house, write and used to even help kids with homework-all at the same time. Sometimes I can't physically do all of those things at the same time however my mind is constantly multi-tasking. For instance as I write this blog I am thinking of all the other things I need to be doing. This ability can be extremely helpful and also mentally frustrating.

     When my kids were younger I worked and was attending college online so I had to cook, help them with their work, complete my school assignments and clean house all at the same time. Yes it is possible to do all of those things at the same time. You simply start dinner, have the computer  logged into the classroom , the kids at the table and dust rag in hand. When there is a break during meal prep you work on an assignment while answering kids questions. Before going in to check on the meal, you dust a thing or two.

     Even when I am not physically able to do all of these things at the same time, for instance a meal requires that I stir the food or complete each task before moving to another, I am still thinking of all the things I need to do.

     This is one of the downsides, I have to keep a paper and pen nearby to jot down what my mind is thinking so that I don't forget what is next. It is very frustrating and stressful at times because my mind seems to always be on "what's next" instead of "what's now." It isn't something I do on purpose, it just comes naturally to be that way. I am writing this blog and thinking about cleaning my house at the same time. I know I can't physically do both at the same time so my body feels stressed out much of the time. I guess maybe that is where the saying "I wish there were two of me." comes into play. I wish there were ten of me so I could accomplish all that I need to and all that my mind is thinking about.

     I think the ability to multi task is wonderful, I love being able to focus on more than one task at a time  and to accomplish several things

at the same time. However it is also very hard, I always feel unaccomplished and like there's something I need to do. I am never truly able to relax and feel accomplished because in my mind there is always something left undone.

   

Beautiful Baby Needs Your Vote!

     My friends beautiful granddaughter needs your vote. She has been entered into a baby contest and if she wins will be featured on The Tribune 2015 Baby Calendar.

     My friends daughter entered her little girl in this contest because she is so beautiful and has such a happy personality. Her personality is visibly seen in the photo that you will be voting on.

     So please all of my blogging friends, follow this link and help Alivia become the 2015 Cover Baby!

     

Register, it is easy, and vote here
Once you are logged in go to page 3 to find her..