How much is too much?

What is the actual point of Twitter, Facebook and all social networking platforms out there? Discovering: Probably.Connecting: clearly. Keeping in touch: Surely. Meet and discover new people: Most definitely.

So here I am,sitting in front of my computer, reading through the Twitter and Facebook timelines and wondering how much people are willing to share out there. I have always thought that as long as you are in peace with what you are writing, and that you are willing to share it, well you might do so. Yes but, lately, I have had mixed feelings about this whole online sharing concept. I have come along statuses or posts that felt very much too much, and I can’t help but wonder if the boundaries aren’t being pushed too far. We do not want to know when people have had Diarrhoea all night and we really don’t want to see you giving birth on youtube. I remember reading about a women that asked her phone to update her Facebook while giving birth. The update was stating: “I’m pushing”. Seriously?!

Credit: http://www.kunocreative.com/

Now then, who am I to judge what should or what shouldn’t be out there? And more importantly, if people are comfortable with sharing, why not?

Obviously, I should state here, before going any further that I most definitely have developed (like many many others) an addiction for social media. This whole online world, its possibilities, its strengths and its growing importance fascinates me. I love the Internet, I love Twitting, Facebooking, pinning, linked-in and blogging. I basically follow the news on Twitter, learn how to use photoshop thanks to Youtube and organise events from my bed thanks to Facebook. I am, very present online, and this for one reason, the people. I met incredible people online, people who advised me, gave me a job, made me laugh and some of them even became friends. More than that, I even met the man I now love online.

The funny thing about it all, is that, most of the time, I knew the people before meeting them in real life. I knew a lot actually. Their age, job, favourite food, name of the pet, last clothes they bought. Sometimes I even knew where they lived, how their living room, bathroom, bedroom looked like. I knew a lot because they shared a lot. Some of them had a blog so I even knew some of their deepest thoughts, best moments, hardest moments. And really, I can relate to that. Writing is like a therapy, it helps when things get hard and it makes you even happier when they are great. Anyway, this is the way I feel about it. And really I write a lot.

So now you think. Really, does she? Her last post was published two weeks ago. That is because I write, I read it, and I leave it, here, in my drafts section. Sometimes because I feel that it is badly written, uninteresting or simply irrelevant , and, sometimes I just think that it is giving out too much about myself. I think about publishing it and then realise that it will be the equivalent of doing a strip-tease in Liverpool Street station at peak hours. The underlying problem here isn’t how uncomfortable I would be (even if sometimes it is) but more what people would think of that. Let me explain.

With the Social Media week happening all around London I have been to many lectures, classes and social events and heard the same thing over and over again. Be very careful what you are putting online. Future employers will look at it and make their first impression judging with what is right here, on your blog, on your Twitter, youtube and everywhere you might be linked to. Right, now you think twice don’t you.

Well, at least I did. And I still do, but I have chosen to keep being myself, online or offline. And yes, I swear, I hate the world, I cry, I laugh at stupid things and say stupid things, then hopefully some interesting ones.
As I stated earlier, I found that social networking and more especially blogging is the cheapest and yet one of the most efficient therapy on the market at the moment. At least it works for me. To my surprise,there has been times when blogging has appeared to be more relieving than an hour section in front of a punching bag.

That said, I will keep some information for myself and avoid tagging my company into a post stating how much I hate my job. What about you? Yes, you. The one reading this post right now. How much do you share online. How much do you think is too much?