Social Media Fatigue
Monday, November 28, 2011 at 7:19AM
Ever feel like you're kind of stuck and you need a change? I was there last week. With the upcoming Thanksgiving week, life was adding more stress that was difficult to handle. For weeks now, I felt like I was taking all my efforts and playing catch up. Don't get me wrong. I'm very happy where I'm at right now professionally and personally. I was just tired.
"Social Media Fatigue" is a dirty little secret that the early adopters never write about - especially those in health care social media. That's why I was surprised when a few months ago, my good friend, Seattle Mama Doc wrote the post "Online Sabbitical."
I’m taking an online sabbatical this month. Consider this an act of both self-reflection and self-awareness but also an act of self-preservation. As any blogger knows, blogging every few days, taking photographs daily, approving and responding to comments 24 hours a day (7 days a week), while authoring content in your head every few paces, is an entirely consuming experience. Blogging has completely changed my life. And this job is an utter privilege... But I’ve been consuming media, blogging, and authoring content without reprieve since November 11, 2009.
Now, my blogging frequency and my podcast frequency have decreased tremendously in the past 2-3 years. But, I still feel that social media has taken over my life, and I needed a break. So, I took one for a week. And, let me tell you, it was quite liberating. It opened my mind up to all kinds of new possibilities.
It was also cool that Thanksgiving fell in this time as well. It was great to spend time with the family and not constantly checking my phone. My parents, who are of course proud of my social media work, asked me lots of computer questions - specifially about digital photos. And, it was so interesting to hear them tell stories about each and every picture.
What's my social media future? NO, I'm not quitting. But, as the end of the year quickly arrives, I'm looking ahead to 2012 and thinking about what my social media life will be like and my continued challenge to balance personal, professional, and social media life.
I'm very thankful that I've gotten to experience being a conference speaker this year, and I hope this continues. But, I'm thinking about some different plans for the website and the podcast for 2012. If you have suggestions, please let me know.
I talk about this more in last night's Family Medicine Rocks Podcast Episode 22 in which I talk about my social media fatigue episode. If you have your own thoughts on social media fatigue, I would love for you to share them as well. I also encourage you to check out posts on the subject by Chris Brogan, BusinessWeek, and MemeBurn. This is not something talked about or written about much. I wonder what your thoughts are on this topic.
Reader Comments (5)
Taking a break- it's only natural. I took a month off too back in May. Was hard at first but then became easier. The online world went on without me...and that was ok. Looking forward to hearing more about your plans for next year. Thanks for always being a great example and pushing the field forward! :)
Thanks, Dr Sevilla! Congratulations on taking the week offline. My month away (August) was transformative, yet fleeting. I was back in full swing, and full chaotic juggling within weeks. Life, of course, is a long race....and instead of thinking like the hare, we should think more like the tortoise. I'm working on it, too and have HIGH hopes for 2012. So I wish you luck with your re-design in 2012. Please share your wisdom! We all need help in balancing advocacy with patient care with social media with self-care & reflection....
I guess it's hard to get social media fatigue when you only post a couple of times a month.
Why do you guys push yourselves so hard?
Anyone who strives for excellence, feels the burn of persistence. I think "social media fatigue" is simply the result of the high standard you hold for yourself, your blog, and your efforts. Looking forward to seeing additional positive changes professionally, and personally, in 2012.
Great post! Thank you so much for sharing this. I'm not an early adopter like you but I've been feeling a bit of SM fatigue too. After two years of blogging, I've slipped from weekly to a couple of times a month over the last few months and am realizing it's okay to wait until I have something to say. I also find myself taking a week off from tweetchats and needing to just stay off Twitter for 2-3 days at a time because it can almost feel obsessive. I still enjoy the community I've found here but by carving out a little more offline time and quiet time for myself I am rediscovering creativity for other things I care about. I'm with you, I want to hear more about what others are experiencing.