Steemit VS 'Real Life' - Or About Fate
7 years ago in #steemit by meanmommy33 (61)
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Sometimes, I feel like I have to excuse the amount of time I spend on Steemit by putting it down. I make the time spent away from my computer "bigger" somehow with the IRL label... but what am I doing in real life?
Very few of those events, even the ones where I'm connecting with people IRL result in the deep conversations about topics I'm interested in: Feminism, the state of world politics and crisis, arts & culture, gender and racial inclusion/diversity, the development of innovative technologies and companies, cryptocurrency, quality content curation.
But, when I bring up what I do on Steemit to folks outside my network, they look at me like I'm crazy because I've developed seemingly deep relationships "on the internet." What about pen pals? What about relationships before technology? They were different and they were, more often than they are now, much deeper.
The internet is the tool that helps me create deep relationships that are unhampered by time zones, geography, language barrier, cultural difference, and even opinion difference. It'll take a personal effort on my part to not shrink my life on Steemit but I'm going to start doing it. Just because people don't understand cryptocurrency, doesn't mean they can't appreciate a community of creative, open, and like-minded individuals gathering in one place. 💓
My dear Amelia !!!
I don't know how I managed to miss this amazing comment, so sorry! Probably it got mixed with others and I failed to check it !!!
Oh....you bet that people in my 'real life' if they're not on Steemit they look me like crazy... ok except of one of my closest friends, that she is not on Steemit yet but she knows a lot about it and understands crypto and all - ok, she doesn't think I'm crazy... neither does my boyfriend who is on Steemit too .... but the rest? Oh.... yep.
Someone else mentioned pen pals and it's exactly the same, I completely agree. We just fail to see it I think because it wasn't 'technology related' at the time.
I love how you put it in the end - fingers crossed that this how it'll happen !!! <3
Life is all about balance. Make a list of what is important to you most in life and prioritize it, then find balance. Steemit, Family, Discord for social, house-work, appointments, cooking, all good priorities, then divide time enough to pop into each category. Excellent eye opener
I do that often but that's the thing -technically I'm jobless so no appointments, I hate to cook, family in Greece [well, only 2 people], house-work doesn't take that long anyway, so that leaves us to........ Steemit and Discooooord :D [addicted person revealed ahahaha]
Seriously now, prioritize is the key, I believe that too... Thank you girl :* :* :*
Amen to that! Couldn't have said it better myself.
What you call or refer to as real life in this post would not be called real life by our Indian gurus here. Bottom line, it's ok to Steem.
I like the relation part reasoning, i like mean mommies as well, Ha :-)
So what would be called real life by the gurus? I'm curious to know!! :D
The thing is... over-steem...that's the issue haha ;)
Thank you deary!
aww this is really a very special platform. here I get real interpretations of art. most importantly, I am with great artists and good people. I do not have any social media addiction and yes I am addicted here. I do not complain about this. the people here are real! I closely follow the cultural values and the way of speaking of the people on the other side of the world. I'm so happy!
you are right in your ideas and foresight! thanks for your wonderful and sincere expression
You said it all komsu 'I'm so happy! Aha! I get you!!!
Ben tessekur ederim :* :* :*
if you feel connected, empowered, loved then that to me is real time, how we spend it is up to us and nobody can tell us if that's the right way or not as we all respect time in different ways. i got fed up explaining the HOW of what interests me, the people that gravitate towards me always will and the ones that don't well don't and often i won't know about it.
i say do your thing ;) you already have the answer.
bingo. it's the biggest social experiment of basic income with accountability to each other based on the blockchain ledger, we picked the right place to do it -- steemit is awesome.
Thank you @teamhumble !!! You're expanding what I said the most wonderful way!! And yes, I'm fed up too explaining, and apologizing and feeling bad for being here because it seems weird to those who aren't. Well, their loss ......
park the energy used in trying to EQUALIZE how you feel about it and INSTEAD embrace how you feel and put that ENERGY in to the universe, you'll find your people. maybe it's time to travel more often, create some mini meetups with people on steemit around you, take up a new hobby, move beyond backwards thinking and EMBRACE what you want for your own life and let others fit into place. you don't have to fit into anything you don't need too.
yeah i totally think steemit is a special place.. there is a different energy here of possibility and openness that i've never found on any other platform (and i've used many, from myspace to instagram, facebook, wordpress, etc...).
I think steemit holds the power of synchronicity moving through it because it is decentralized and so many bring good will and energy here. anything can happen on steemit and i agree, it enriches so many of our lives for the better.
i oftentimes say IRL friends just because i can touch them and, in some way, online presence doesn't feel as real as those friends i can touch, but you are right in saying the the emotions and connections are real. i have certainly been touched by interactions on steemit, cried, even, and keep coming back for more. that, to me, is very real indeed <3
MYSPACE OH MY GOD ahahahahahaha !!!!! Those times !!!!! xD I remember Hi5 too....my God.....
Anything...that's what I'm saying too, but in a much cooler way than in other places hehehe!!! :D
I feel you - I had all kinds of interactions so far too and I think....that's only the beginning... ;))) STEEM OOOON !!!! [To da moon! xD ]
<3 <3 <3 to da moooon!! and i think the "overuse" goes in ebbs and flows, for me at least! i was pretty addicted my first few months, it's tapering off a bit now that spring is hitting and i have work to do outside :D but i'll still be here <3
For me it worked the opposite way !!! My bf @creutzy who introduced me to the platform was the one obsessing at first and now he's the one telling me off instead :P ahahaha!
hahahah! love how the tables have flipped!!!
ahahaha yes....... you should see his face he tells me 'are you on discord again...?' and then I'm like 'sorry honey, I have a team to run' PRICELESS ! xD
I've never been one to spend much time in front of the computer, to me I want to spend time out doors. But being on steemit, I have become part of this global community, I have connected with people who wish to be pro active in bringing about change in their lives and in the the planet. To me that connection is very real and very inspiring. I do not feel alone, knowing that so many others on here and out in the world feel the same as me. Steemit has huge potential in bringing people together, all the new things I have learnt and the knowledge being shared, that is something to celebrate.
Thank you for your article @meanmommy33
Ok, to be fair, I was never too out-doorsy hehe [once a dork, always a dork I guess :D ]
But it's not the same as before, no way!
Isn't it amazing knowing that whatever time you go online, on Discord, someone will be there to chat??? And not some randon person at an anonymous chat you know nothing about [end of 90s - beginning of 00s times...]
Thanks for your input :))) I really hope most - if not all- people in here feel the same!!!
I'm glad I found your post because I needed these words today and I can very much relate to a lot of the things you said. In real life, I don't see a lot of friends anymore and I feel more connected to people I meet here than people I see everyday at work. Sometimes it feels odd that that's the case but it feels real here, and I'm glad that you shared these things. I am not alone then! In just a few months here, it felt like I'm going out again although virtually. And this:
I will try. I've been feeling anxious again lately. I'm a worrier and I want to get out of that. I will try. Thank you!
It makes me so happy that this post made you feel even a bit better !!!
It's not odd !!! It's real life if you ask me ;)
No, you're not alone!!! And I'm happy to see that neither am I!!! <3 I think you should totally join us at @steemsugars !!! [you'll see the link to the discord under the banner at the end of my post] We're an awesome group of ladies with the goal of bringing more ladies into the platform !!! So hope to see you there!!!
And yes, try - only for today, to just enjoy the now. It's hard I know, who am I to talk anyway .... but sometimes, it works !!! And I promise you you'll feel a loooot better !!!! :*
Words are really powerful and your words had that effect on me. I'm amazed how real it is! Thank you too for the invite. This is so sweet <3 I will check out @steemsugars the name alone sounds fab! :)
I don't believe in "One True Love," and I don't believe in fate. I believe online life is real life (even though I use IRL as shorthand for offline), and have the friendships and other relationships to show for it.
I don't like to quote Dan Savage, because he's been problematic in some aspects, but one of his regular sayings is "there is no one, there's the 0.87 we round up to 1" (the digits change), and I totally believe that. Believing there's a "one" also negates the truth: that relationships, even the very best ones, require work on both sides.
Will there be blockchain-social media babies? Probably. I won't be surprised at all to learn some have already found love here, and if Steemit is going to be successful, it's gonna grow. A LOT.
The human mind is very good at creating patterns and narratives to make sense of the world. That's a big part of why stories are so important. But I don't believe in externally imposed patterns and narratives. In the end, to me, the story is what we make it to be.
I think you should make a post out of that @didic .... how beautifully written.... <3 Thank you for that...
Stories are important indeed...and it is what we make it to be...Well said my friend, well said :)))
At this point of life (age), if something does Steemit is to potentize life. In the times of hi5, myspace, icq, even msn chat or any other chat it was crazy to think of traveling to meet someone, although I know people who did it. And it was a big deal, a life changing experience in many cases for the purpose of getting married.
Now you can make it very casual. Just to meet one friend you've talking to and after that you just move on. Also with a little help of the earnings you're making here.
So real life now covers both.
msn .... yet another blast from the past haha !
That I only had it to talk with my friends - never met new people there, but I bet some people did!
And yes, that social media conclusion [marriage or relationships in general] always happened and always will happen since the digital era begun ;)
Yup, I totally agree that somehow now it all blends ;)
Ahhh YES this is real life! Thanks for reminding me - I have to write the blog about a Steemit-like platform I was on 15 years ago - there were marriages and babies and all! So don’t worry - it is REAL! And as anything in life: as long as it feels good and real and honest it is fine to spend your time on it <3
Please do write about that !!! I'm very curious to see something similar from that long ago !!! :D
YES! I'm even going to find some screenshots of the very very old website :D
oooooh yes yes YES
How dare that person who called you a dork Loop?Friends/people we met thru Steemit aren't real?
That's sad because they have not experienced our interactions and relationships that some of us have.
Gosh,can you imagine explaining to our grandkids on how weve met? Saying outside a snooker club in Lisbon probably would be easier😍😍
What we have isn't real? Let them wonder.
Ahahahaha !!!! I was actually amused - I was expecting 'nerd' or 'geek' - Dork is SO old school :P And he's a dork too by the way [no, not creutzy]
AHAHAHAHAHA !!!!!!!!!! First of, I didn't meet you there - I met you at an elegant bar of a 5Star Hotel in Lisbon, thank you very much :P
Yup, let the wonder...... ;) Love you giiiirl !!! :*
And you Loop! Oh..was it a 5 star? Ok then, 5 star it is! Beat that outside a snooker club ahahaha! Gosh i miss you guys!
Exactly !!! let's not make it sound cheap when it was indeed luxury ahahaha :P
Me too !!!!! :*
Definitely luxurious and all that wine? Roelandp rocks!
I definitely remember that we started with red - that I do. But then... :P :D @roelandp is the Master of Wine and FUN ! :D <3
Yes red..but those awesome waiters came around with only white! Either way, all were excellent. 5 stars!!
I totally get it. Since joining steemit I have made some real true friends that I care about and want to communicate with on a daily basis. I haven't been a very social person in years, it's hard with kids! With Steemit I can have a better balance of social life and family life. I really love it. Steemit is real life. Hopefully I can keep steeming and growing and not have to go back to a dayjob when the youngest is older, that's my goal.
I look forward to talking to you more on discord ♡♡♡
I hope to see you in Canada girl !!!! <3 <3 <3
Totally! Come on over :)
I agree on some level with what you share. From my point of view. Steemit has a closer and more transparent bond with it's users more than in any other media. I find instagram and facebook to just have people constantly uploading selfies and photos of a "perfect life" they really don't have. Not the deal with steemit. People actually share how bad they feel on a more personal level. Something I really value and find unique. The only problem is when you stop bonding with people around you to just do it online. We need real hugs, socialise with other humans on something more than just a computer, I mean with all our other senses. There really is no right or wrong, it really goes down to.... "do what makes you happy as long as you don't hurt others". So if steemit makes you happy, and I mean REALLY happy, not the "yay I got a like" happy but the one that goes deeper than that. Then why stop? Deep down we are all just looking for approval and steemit is doing a good job at it. I feel happy. :)
I see the personal flair of sharing you're saying - it's the whining social media ahahahaha !!!
Well, I'd rather have that and be true than LIES ...
Yeah, we do need a real touch, but what if we don't have people around us? I'm certainly not saying to isolate our selves and refuse actual contact in person, just for an online relation of any kind, but what if you're alone anyway? [even though I do refuse suggestions to do stuff with people in real life and sometimes I say no to hang here, but that's another, disturbing story I guess...]
STEEM is by definition the way to get your self-eSTEEM up :D :D :D Indeed !!!!
I absolutely think that the online life is real life - at least on platforms like this. I know that there is a certain amount of creating a pretend world on FB and other platforms like that, and I am sure we are not all spilling all of our secrets, but we have a lot of conversations on here.
People used to have a penpal they might never have met in their life but considered their closest friend. This kind of relationship can happen here - only faster. We don't have to wait for 6 weeks for the next letter to arrive.
Personally, I have met my podcasting partner on Social Media - Tsu,, which no longer exists but had much the same vibe as Steemit.
Also, we have had 2 local meetups now where I met Steemians I already had been friends with through the platform and also met new people in person who I can now follow on Steemit.
This is real as long as we make it real. It is all up to the individual what they want to get out of their online life.
awwww penpals !!!! I remember those times !!!! And you know what??? One of those is still one of my best friends to this day !!!! <3 <3 <3 <3
I've heard about Tsu - and I was wondering why it doesn't exist anymore :(
''This is real as long as we make it real. It is all up to the individual what they want to get out of their online life.'' - I love this, so true, so to the point, so explanatory.
Thank you for this girl !!! <3
Thank you - and Tsu disappeared overnight. I think - since it also involved money - too many spammers and devs which were in over their head...
I've had an online family & friends practically since the first moment my dialup connected (yes, I'm THAT old - LOL).
I met a local, dear friend through a Usenet group in '99, and a few short years later, hubby & I attended her wedding to the guy she met in the same group.
This is real life. All of it. Only difference is I dress much better online... LOL!
Mega hugs to you, my REAL friend!
(and you know I had to gif this, right? LOL)
via GIPHY
Awwwww first of all <3 <3 <3 saves gif :D AWESOME!
Then, I'm THAT old too - oh dialup times !!!! Ahahahaha :D
Times change but there's always more or less the same way to connect 'outside' what we call 'real life' - but yeah, that's real life too, as you put it 'all of it'
Mega hugs back - and you never know, you might see me much sooner than you think.............. ;))))
YAY! Fingers crossed!