Social Media: When to Stop?

Yesterday I received an invite in my mailbox to join Google+. (Ever notice how awkward that is to type? And it looks weird to put some type of punctuation after it. Guess I won’t ever use it at the end of a sentence!) I was glad to get the invite, because I’ve been thinking of joining. But I’m still dragging my feet a little bit. Ok, a lot. I did the same thing before I joined Twitter. Why? Because I just can’t help but wonder if I want to join one more thing.

As of right now, I’m on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Blogger, Etsy, and Gmail (which is that ancient form of communication called email, in case you were wondering.) And I love and use them all. Some. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining. It would be slightly ridiculous to complain and gripe about something I am in no way obligated to have or use. I am just explaining why I am dragging out this joining Google+ thing. 

I enjoy spending a little time each day on these social media outlets. I am daily on Facebook, Blogger, and using my Email. I am working on making Twitter a daily habit as I connect with other bloggers and blog readers. Etsy is becoming a daily thing as well, and when I have a minute to spare, I am on Pinterest. Sometimes, I make some spare time. :) Sounds like a lot, doesn’t it? It is, and would be a problem if I wasn’t careful with the time spent. It really helps that we have no internet at our house...therefore limiting my time for me! I usually tweet as I browse and read other blogs, leave Facebook open while I’m online (just waiting for that “1” bubble to show up!) and check Email and Etsy orders once a day. The time spent isn’t really all that much!

If I was going to be honest (and I am...in case there was any doubt) I wouldn’t want to spend more time than that on any one thing. Facebook gets old after a while. I can only stare at those coffee beans with a face hidden in them so long, ya know? I have better things to do! I can’t follow every.single.thing on Twitter...I would get bored. I’m just being honest here, folks! Maybe I just have a short attention span….but if you were honest with yourself, wouldn’t you say the same thing?

I think it is important to seriously consider our usage of social media. Yes, it is a great way to communicate. Yes, there are so many more things available to us these days. Yes, they make our lives easier and broader. (Seriously, how did we function before Pinterest?) And yes, they can be time-consuming. And the last thing I want is come to the place where I realize that I have wasted time on networking that would have been better used in service to the Lord. When I get to heaven, my Christ is not going to say, “Well done, thou good and faithful Facebooker” but I do want to hear Him say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.” Not a servant to the internet, but a servant of His. That is my goal.

So will I join Google+? Yes, I most likely will, mainly because, from what I’ve read, Goggle friend connect (used through Blogger) is going to be extinct, and Goggle+ will be used instead. And because I am sure Google+ is another great way to communicate, stay in touch with friends, and read up on my interests. Even though I have not yet joined, I am sure Google has done a great job with it. I just want to keep my focus right.

So tell me what you think of Social Media. How many different things are you using these days? Have you ever gotten to the place where you feel that its just too much? How do you balance your networking time? And if you are on Google+, what do you think?