This column is, by nature, very social media positive. However, it’s very easy for even the moderately tech savvy among us to get sucked into social media, spending far too much time on Facebook or Twitter, and end up doing ourselves more harm than good. I suspect all of us have noticed either ourselves or our friends becoming too attached to their websites of choice.
We as singers are particularly susceptible to this. We can justify our Internet usage: We need to be reachable 24/7 in case a musical emergency arises and we are offered a last-minute gig. We have to promote ourselves to our fans and get the word out about our shows. Our industry friends are people we may work with only a few weeks out of the year and we use social media to stay in touch with them. We have to keep up with all the gossip from the opera world. We must watch clip after clip of the arias we’re studying.
But when you look more closely, our intentions might not be so pure. Singers, like other stage creatures, crave adulation, and a handful of “likes” on our witty status update offers more instant gratification than concentrating on the opera DVD we’re supposed to be watching. We work independently much of the time, without a supervisor watching us to make sure we’re staying on task. We can easily turn “networking” into gossiping.
If you’re feeling a little out of control over your phone and Internet usage, here’s a little checklist to help you get in control of your online habits.
☑ If you’re worried about missing important communication, choose one primary channel through which you should be reached. Be clear and up front about it: “The best way to reach me is by text message (or e-mail, or phone, or Facebook).” Remind your colleagues every time you give out your contact info. “Here’s my e-mail, but I don’t always have access to it, so your best bet is to text me.” That way you can’t justify checking your Facebook or Twitter direct messages to see if something important has come up that you need to know about immediately.
☑ Put your computer to sleep when you practice. Or, if you find you need to use it for a legitimate reason, such as utilizing an online translator, at least face it away from you and turn the sound off. At the very minimum, take up most of the screen with something that really doesn’t interest you, like those tax forms you’ve been putting off.
☑ Put away your phone when you’re sharing a meal or beverage with loved ones. Texting or checking Twitter when you’re supposed to be spending time with a friend sends the message that you’d rather be somewhere else than with them. Put your phone in your purse or pocket and turn the ringer off. If you have an excuse to have it out, such as a friend meeting you, explain that to your colleagues and put the phone away as soon as is convenient. Unless you’re expecting urgent communication (maybe you’re a cover for a show that night), whatever it is can wait 30 minutes.
☑ Maybe a watch isn’t such an outdated accessory after all. We often allow ourselves to “check in” on our phones when we pull them out to check the time. If you’re guilty of this, yes, watches are still produced, you can still buy them, and they make great conversation pieces. “Wow, I haven’t seen one of those in like five years!”
☑ Find out where you’re going wrong. RescueTime (www.RescueTime.com) is a free software program that can keep track of how much time you spend on each website and application—and can even let you temporarily block websites that distract you. For instance, you spend a few days tracking your web time and discover that you spend an inordinate amount of time on Facebook. So when you’re doing your YAP applications, you can set RescueTime to block Facebook for 45 minutes.
☑ When you log in to an online forum, do so with intention. Know what you’re going to check or post. You can easily lose hours following conversation threads that are completely irrelevant to you, and sometimes not even entertaining, but a compulsion forces you to read the entire thread to the end. (Do participate in discussions if you have something to add and time to write. Don’t be an information leech!) If you’re logging on just for socialization or entertainment, that’s OK, too! But be aware of that before going in. Don’t commit a chunk of your “career time” to researching opinions on German agents, then get caught up in the latest online snark fight.
☑ Don’t tweet gratuitously. Remember: you’re publishing something to the entire world. Do you actually have something to say or are you just thinking out loud?
There are plenty of reasons to tweet. You’re spreading the word about a charitable event. You’re asking for information or sharing information with someone who asked. You’re promoting a performance you’re in. You found an amazing product. You have a hilarious thought. But don’t get carried away.
Although the urge to tweet may arise, no one really cares about how long you’ve been waiting for the bus, how much you hate men, or how much the opposing sports team sucks. (Cute pictures of puppies, on the other hand, are always welcome.) And I always say: Don’t tweet about what you’re eating or cooking unless you brought enough for everyone!
☑ Allow “play time” on the Internet. I don’t mean for an instant to suggest that your online living should be all work and no play. The problem is that we sit down to work, but end up playing, or inefficiently toggling. Checking Facebook is like having a glass of wine. If you want a drink, have it after work, before bed, or maybe even a soupçon with a big lunch. But if you do it during “work” hours, you’re not going to accomplish anything except drinking a lot of wine and watering your cows (or whatever people do on FarmVille).
I am pro-social media. I don’t think checking your e-mail from your phone first thing when you wake up is any worse than turning on the morning news. But I am also pro-work, pro-career, and pro-healthy social relationships. If you’re feeling scattered and having trouble finding that healthy balance, it might be time to rethink your online habits. We live in a Web 2.0 world and there’s no going back. If you can make it work for you instead of against you, you’ll be leaps and bounds ahead of many of your peers.
