I am a “late bloomer” when it comes to most things Internet. Until I went back to college after a 16 year hiatus, I was barely able to e-mail and use a word processor. Still, once I was turned on to surfing the web, research opportunities and the ease of finding out about “anything and everything,” I began to slowly embrace it.
My friends and my sister insisted that I was missing out, however. They thought that I needed to at least sign up for a MySpace account and Facebook was a “must.” I told them, “I’m going back to school. I’m doing homework all weekend and some nights. I don’t have time for any of that stuff.” Still, they were relentless until I finally broke down and let a friend set me up a MySpace account. My sister helped me set up a Facebook account, and I actually set up my own Sparkpeople account. Now, I am ruined for life.
I must say that I don’t really use the MySpace account. Since my friend set it up, she set the pages up in the way that she sees me. She lives in another state and my focus has changed in the last ten years. I never can remember the password she set up for me or even what the site is named.
I did use my Facebook quite regularly and I even got hooked playing things like Farmville, Farm Town and several other games. My favorite thing about Facebook is the fact that I have gotten reconnected with people with whom I graduated from high school in 1975. I have wondered about many of them through the years, and the minute I set up my account, lost friends were finding me from all over the USA. It is great to see pictures and find out what everyone has been doing for the last 30 plus years.
Sparkpeople is a site that I did all by myself. It is very user-friendly, and the instructions were quite simple. Sparkpeople is a site focused on supporting people who are trying to lose weight or just get healthier. It has a free food log that will count your calories, how much fiber, fat, protein, vitamin A, etc. that you have consumed and how many calories you need to limit yourself to in order to lose weight. I have made friends on that site, and one such friend has also become a friend on Facebook. She lives in the Northwest, and it was amazing how much we have in common. We really could relate to each other, and she has been a real source of encouragement for me.
I find that joining the ranks of those who have made social media sites part of their daily routine has been very rewarding for me. Sometimes I don’t actually write anything for weeks at a time. Sometimes I don’t even look at them because of time constraints. However, my husband will read me my wall on Facebook to help me keep up with how everyone is doing and what is going on in their lives. It makes me able to stay in touch in ways that I never could before. And, as that old saying goes, “Don’t knock it until you try it!”
I have a similar sentiment with Facebook. I’ve found old friends, connected with total strangers, and kept in touch with family that lives across the country from me. I enjoy feeling connected to them when I’m so far away. I’m glad you’re on Facebook, too, because I love to make friends with people I’ve had classes with!
I had a Myspace account several years ago, but I finally closed it. I would visit it so rarely that I would have to try three or four different passwords until I found the one I was using at the time I created the site! Sheesh, what a hassle! So I finally kissed my Myspace goodbye!
I’ve never heard of Sparkpeople before, but it sounds interesting. I wish that more people could use social media as a means to find community during times of weight loss or dieting. It’s so difficult to feel alone while your dieting, especially if it means you can’t eat out with friends as much.
I am so glad that your family and friends forced you, at first, to get a facebook. It is a good way to stay connected, and continually brushing up on your technology skills… such as typing and writing. Not only that, these social networking sites are taking over! I am constantly getting pop-ups of comments, so it tempts me into looking at the facebook page, once I get on I am constantly browsing through my friends, and some times people I have never even mets photos.
As far as the Sparkpeople website, I need to take a look at it. My boyfriend and I have just started a vegan diet, and I am constantly adding up my calories of the day on myfitness pal. That thing keeps me in line.
Best of luck
-T_Hobby
Check out SparkPeople. I think you’ll love it! Glad you enjoyed the blog!
Cindy