On the PRSA Idaho blog David Compton mentioned that I promised to post a blog a few weeks ago and went to Lake Tahoe to play with my kids instead. I'm repeating my response here:

This brings up a good discussion point and a chance to articulate something I have been thinking about for a few weeks. While I get the value of social media, preach its relevance, and engage in it on several levels, you'll notice that I am not a frequent contributor. I chime in once or twice every couple of days and try to keep my comments meaningful. If I wanted to chit chat, I'd call you on the phone or ask you to meet me for coffee. If I wanted to share antedotes about my life or a day in my life, I'd share them with those closest to me--my family and long-time pals. I don't need Facebook or twitter, LinkedIn, Flickr or any other platform to connect with them and, God forbid, I sit at a computer and communicate with people I hardly know instead of walking into the next room and getting in a good snuggle from one of my kids or even my dog. Also, don't you just want to get outside? With all the online banter going on among those in social media circles, I question whether many of these people are living or just talking about it. I'm sure I'm going to catch hell for this post and there will be several comments/arguments to what I've said. I get that but I won't have time to respond to many of them because my eight-year-old has just asked me for the third time if I could sit down with her at the piano and help her learn a new song...I can't think of a better way to end the night and wouldn't trade the time we spend together for 500 Facebook friends.