An Analogue Living in the Digital World

From the beginning of a student’s time at university, it is drummed into their minds to be socially active online – we are encouraged to use:

• Twitter - to make contacts, follow the latest trends and news;
• Facebook - to keep in touch with the friends and post personal feelings;
• Blogging - to write about PR topics or personal interests such as lifestyle, beauty, food, etc;
• LinkedIn account, to connect with potential employers. 

We are told to be media savvy, and socially switched-on: a message I embraced whole-heartedly.

However, I soon lost interest in tweeting, posting updates on Facebook, blogging - taking pictures of my food and sharing them with the world. 

In the beginning, I thought that I was being lazy, but upon reflection, I realised that isn’t the case.  It was, in fact, because I am simply not interested in sharing my opinions or thoughts in the public-sphere we call social media. I would rather spend my time to have a good, long face-to-face chat, or, at least, over the phone; but just not virtually – that’s when I realised, I’m an ‘analogue’ living in a digital world!

Although I am a self-proclaimed ‘analogue’, but I’m not a dinosaur - I understand the ins and outs of using social media platforms - how to engage with the public, the analytic tools, how to gain followers, etc, etc.  Social media is no doubt become the extension of PR, but do beware that we do not become the slave of social media - we need to be the people who own the space.

My personal bête noire is using Twitter for ‘chit-chat’, with someone whom you have ‘access’ to in real life. I use Twitter as a news hub; it supplies me with the latest news and knowledge from the wise people I follow - that is it for me on social media.

There is a huge proportion of adults in the UK who own smartphones, but smartphones have seemed to taken away the good-old tradition of engaging in conversations with people in real life social settings: such as, meeting with friends at coffee shops, at the bus stops; speaking to friends face-to-face, instead of over texts or emails; or engaging conversations with strangers (when appropriate).

In comparison to many digital savvy people, I am very much an ‘analogue’, who is still refusing to be switched over!

Here is a little video from Coca-Cola, that sums up my views on social media.

This blog is written by Chloe Berry, a final year PR student and course representative.  Chloe completed her placement year at Brass, one of the largest full-service communications agencies in Leeds.
@vegeworm