Status Update Overload

As an online writer, it seems a necessary evil to create backlinks to your stories, articles or hubs. Supposedly this will give you more credibility online - well, at least as far as Google is concerned. At least that is the rumors I have heard.

As a writer, we all want our work to be read. We painfully sign up for all these places so we can continually backlink with high hopes we will be recognized for the writing genius we think we are.

Yet, when is it too much?

Social networking is a great way to get exposure. Unfortunately, unless we network with other writers, the only people we are exposing our writing too is family and friends. And if you over do the linking, this might actually mean you are not really exposing, as much as you are irritating.

The likelihood is these backlinks do not necessarily mean you will be reaching out to the millions. In fact, the ones least likely to read what an online writer writes or shares is family and friends. They might occasionally stop by, but if the online writing thing isn't their gig, they might not necessarily be into yours.

To them, a post on Facebook from Hubpages or a blog, is just another posting of spam they breeze on by without even a second glance. Yet we all continue to post, and we continue to open social networking accounts. All in hopes to get a little bit of attention.

There are several different social networking sites out there. The first one I signed up for was MySpace. To me it was fun. I could find cutesy little graphics and post them on my friend’s pages. I could upload a song that described how I was feeling. I could set a background picture that fit perfectly with my personality. The problem - it had become time consuming. Not only did I spend way too much updating my mood on MySpace and personalizing my profile, but if I wanted to view any of my friends pages, it took forever, even with high speed internet, because the system was too bogged down.

Then there came Facebook. Facebook is big in terms of social media. Apparently, you aren’t cool if you aren’t on Facebook. Well, at least that was what I was told before I had my Facebook account. Yet, I continued to hesitate. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to MySpace. I also wasn’t ready to spend more of my precious time on another social networking site. This, however, was before I started writing online for Hubpages. It was for social purposes only. To keep in touch with family and friends. Therefore, the only thing I did was update what I was doing, just like the vast majority of people who use Facebook for a non-networking purpose.

Then one day I saw my dad playing a game. I wanted to try it out. Yet, he didn’t want me to screw up his score on his Facebook profile. That night, I went home and opened my very own Facebook Profile, purely because I wanted to try this one game. From then on, my relationship with MySpace dwindled down to almost being nonexistent, as most people's accounts had. I became involved in the world of Farmville and Bejeweled Blitz. I updated my statuses a few times a day, if not more. I was addicted, just like the majority of Facebook users. Yet, I vowed these would be the only social networking sites I would belong to… until a couple of weeks ago.

That was when RealHousewife twisted my arm. She insisted I get a Twitter account. She might have even threatened my life. That is the only thing I can think of since I had vowed to stay away from opening up another account. Either that or she has special powers of hypnosis. So off I went to join the world of tweeters! While I was at it, I went ahead and joined Google+ as well. Why not? One more can’t possibly hurt!

It wasn’t different from any other day. I wake up to the sounds of my son screaming to get out of the crib. I roll over and try to ignore him, yet he is persistent and eventually I gave in. I go into his room with a big smile and say, “Good morning my little man!” He smiles a toothy smile and has me evacuate his blankets and anything else he can manage to grab from his bed.

After a hour or so of cartoons, the kids all get there breakfast and then I take a quick break and try to check all the sites I belong too: Facebook and Hubpages being the main two. Yet, now I have added even more sites to my “sites that I must check daily list” On top of both Facebook and Hubpages, now I am heading over to Google + and Twitter. Yet, there is so much in my feeds that I find myself skimming. Then, I try to figure out something clever to say, and my mind is a blank. I can not think of anything mildly amusing. I am obviously suffering from Status Update Overload.

If it isn’t bad enough… I can’t think of something to write as a status update… not even on one site… I find my mind can’t concentrate on my writing either. So later in the day, while my children are down for their naps, I attempt the impossible. I attempt to write something profound, funny, informative, and maybe even a little creative. Yet, pounding on the keys does nothing. I may have used every key on my laptop, but the one used the most is the backspace button.

I find I am at a loss for words!

With so many social networking sites out there, and a variety of sites to add backlinks too, suffering from Status Update Overload is a very common problem for writers. In fact, I estimate that online writers will suffer from this horrible disease several times a month (or maybe even a week) in just a matter of years! So, now that you are aware, what are the tell tale signs you are suffering from Status Update Overload.

1. You find your online writing is suffering. Only weeks before you had a surplus of ideas floating in your head. One day, you wake up and all the ideas have vanished. This might come on suddenly, or it might come on slowly. You might notice this and write it off as a touch of writer’s block. Yet, what really may be happening is that you are using up all your creativity by writing status updates in your numerous social networking sites.
2. Your status updates revolve around what you are eating for every meal. This is a sure sign you have run out of things to say. If you go back and look at your status updates and the last few are all meal centered, you might have a problem. No one really cares what you are eating (unless of course you are having a fabulous meal that you prepared and are sharing the recipe!)
3. You start reading other people’s statuses and just liking. Your creative juices are on the down flow and therefore you can not even come up with something mildly amusing to even comment on what they said. In other words, you have run out of comebacks.
4. As you try to fall asleep at night, you find yourself trying to come up with creative status updates for your profiles. This is definitely a no-no. For one, this will cause you to start having insomnia. You need to put your ideas to bed so you can get some sleep. Without the proper amount of sleep, your creativity will continue to dwindle. Save the status updates for the daytime, not when you are heading to bed.
5. You leave your status updates blank… because you are at a loss for words.

Stacy Harris, also known as Barbergirl28, is a wife of 12 years and a stay-at-home mom of two beautiful girls and one handsome little boy. After high school, she joined the Army to become a photojournalist. To this day, she continues to have a passion for writing and photography. After leaving the military, she obtained a license in Cosmetology and also studied Massage Therapy. Her passions include writing, photography, cooking, crafts, health, and fitness. Currently, she is working on a book and freelancing at Hubpages.

If you would like to earn money by writing for Hubpages, click here to sign up.

If you would like to check out her blog Ramblings of an Undiagnosed Mad Woman, click here.