What to Do When Social Media Becomes Antisocial

Ouch. I just lost another Twitter follower. I really didn’t know the guy, especially since he only started following my tweets two days ago. So why does the fact that he decided to stop following me hurt? Why do I fret over a single-digit decline in my Facebook friends — and then search through the entire list to see if I can figure out who it was that left? Why do I feel rejected when an old colleague who started out as part of my LinkedIn network decides to un-link?

I thought jumping onto the social-media bandwagon was going to be an exciting new adventure. I was looking forward to meeting new people from all over the world, connecting with groups with whom I share common interests and reconnecting with some long-lost friends and colleagues. Not to mention family.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s been all of these things. But no one ever warned me of the twinge of pain I’d feel every time one of these new connections is broken or reversed.

No one ever told me that sometimes social media can be, well, antisocial. This is new to me. Am I being too sensitive? Perhaps. It wouldn’t be the first time that accusation has been made. I’ve been called a touchy-feely artist more than once, and I consider it a compliment. But I’m also guessing I’m not alone in feeling this way.

I’m sure there are others out there who, like me, feel at least a twinge of rejection when connections are broken or those requested by us are not answered, which I’ve discovered actually hurts a bit more.Turns out there is a downside to the ease with which we can now connect and subsequently un-connect with people on social media sites.