As I read this article what was running through the back of my mind was, “is it time to quit social media?”, and to be honest… but for being involved in real estate and a large bulk of that requiring being “engaged” I’m not sure I have much use for it. Never before has it been easier for marketers to target and connect with their “target audience”. You do realize that’s what social media has become right? The proverbial barrel where the fish are to shoot.

So, is it possible to take back the social networks? I’m not sure it is – at least with the current companies. Built from the ground up, or under a completely different model – maybe. But as the article linked to above points out it would be to the detriment of the “bottom line”.

Would I like a feed where I only see posts from my family, and maybe some other groups at my leisure? Of course, but unless I’m paying for that the only recourse I have is to a platform that has the resources to provide it based on the party that is willing to pay for it – the marketers.

So what would this “social media” service of the future look like? Number one, it should be built on a privacy, no-advertising first model. Second, I believe it should be decentralized, but speak a standard protocol – just like how email service is provided. Then, organizations like companies, teams, or even families could manage their own little groups and individuals could determine what they want to see or who they want to connect with…

And yet, as I sit here writing this, I wonder if it’s even possible or needed. After all, I’m able to run my own little blog right here. You can share it on social media if you so choose. In fact, I’ll probably post it to my account – and try not to look at the “likes” or “comments” that fuel the FB “engagement” engine.

So, while I may have just rambled for a number of paragraphs, let me finish by encouraging you to consider your use of social media, and at a minimum strongly consider turning off your notifications and moving the app to a sub-folder on your phone (just those two things alone have made a huge difference in my life). I would also encourage you to look into downloading and using Signal Messenger in place of text messaging and especially in favor of the social media messaging platforms.

Until we figure something out, you can always find me right here.