The great social media divide

Well obviously this doesn’t apply to us by the mere fact you are reading this article. However my friends and acquaintances seem to be divided into two groups those who are into social media, Facebook, Twitter and or blogs and those who have a complete fear or distain for any form of social media.

And this is becoming somewhat inconvenient.

I took up Facebook right at the beginning to keep up to date with the doings of my nieces and nephews who live right across the country. And it has worked. I have followed my nephew and his wife on their three-month travels across Europe, seen baby photos of a grand nephew in Perth and shared comments with those of similar political views.

I have kept up to date on the lives of four exchange students who shared our house and life in the mid 90s and now live in Japan, Denmark and North Carolina as well as a young woman I met on a train in Bosnia in July this year.

I shared my 14-week trip across Central Asia and Eastern Europe this year with a blog and on Facebook. As some of that time I was travelling on my own I greatly appreciate the comments I got in reply.

I followed the bush fires in my community, the Blue Mountains. I received up to date information from the RFS and the doings of local brigades. I saw stories of heartbreak and offers of help and the sharing of information. I was able to reassure my family and Facebook friends that my son and his family, who live in the most affected area, were OK and that all was well with me while appreciating the expressions of concern and offers of help.

But what about the other friends who are not on FB? I am aware that this move to internet media excludes those who are not computer literate and I see this as a problem of access but here I am not referring to these people.

Those to whom I am referring are all computer literate and use email and phone banking etc, but have chosen not to use Facebook. Of course it is their right. However I do not understand the responses I hear. “I would have liked more news of your travels”. “I was worried about you during the fires.” “I wish I could see the pictures of nephew’s wedding”. “I did not know that was on.”

When I answer that it was on FB I have heard “One of the few good things about FB” or “I am not on FB” said with a tone of superiority.

OK but I try to share and be inclusive but there is only so far I can go.

Community groups short of funds and volunteers use FB to promote activities they can only do so much.

I do not understand why some are so fearful of social media. I am ready to help friends with privacy settings and I have shown three of these how to get a FB account.

What do you think? Are there mixed feelings about using social media in your friends circle too?