A social media visitor is someone who has a toolbox and only goes to the toolbox when he needs a tool. A visitor is content without the constant carrying of their toolbox or in web terms, not grabbing their tools and adding to the social media world on a daily basis. They see social media in a negative way, they don’t want to be seen as them flaunting themselves and/or appearing egotistical. They care more about personal networks than social media networks.
A resident is someone who carries their toolbox everywhere they go and use it as needed. They constantly post on social media, network, blog and wants their identity to always remain visible. They see their social media presence as a brand and always a work in progress. In order to keep themselves visible, as Dave White explained, “they have to keep feeding the machine.” (White, 2013) As we all know, if not used wisely, feeding the machine of social media can distract from real world responsibilities.
Personally, I am a resident of the social media world. I come from the perspective of networking, learning from others and helping others as so many have helped me. Social media gives me a bigger stage than what my classroom is able to give. However, the classroom gives me that real person-to-person contact and presence that the social media world cannot. I try to stay visible by feeding the machine as White mentioned in the YouTube video but I try my best to stay selective of what I post and if it does not represent my value system then I don’t post it. I love sharing my story and experiences to promote the good news of the world (especially teaching), instead of bashing whatever doesn’t fit into my lifestyle. As with anything in life, there has to be a balance between being a resident (posting your own material) and being a visitor (watching and learning from others’ material) to get the best out of both worlds.
References
White, D. (2013, May 31). Visitors and Residents. Retrieved June 8, 2015.