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Freelancers often spend lots of time working alone. For someone like myself, who enjoys the company of others, it can be lonely. Social media can fill the gap. I've seen Twitter referred to as a "virtual water cooler," and I find that's a good characterization. It's one of the main things I've used Twitter for in the past.
However, these days I'm spending less time in social media. People there are often chatting past each other and the general vibe is mostly negative. Most "conversations" seem to be about driving political opinions. Often, even unrelated topics adopt much of the same tone and tactics as politics. It's grating.
As a result, I often leave Twitter feeling more anxious than I came in. There's something about that environment that brings out the worst in people. The "water cooler" isn't serving its purpose very well if it's making people cross at each other.
Even though I'm not planning to leave social media any time soon (as a freelancer, it's still an important marketing channel,) I'm spending less time there. Instead, I'm reading more books and newspapers. Not quite a water cooler, but at least I leave feeling good about having learned something.
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