Is There Such Thing as Too Much Social Networking?

Lately I’ve wondered if I’m spending a bit too much time online. As a writer I am usually on my pc for several hours a day – including weekends. Though I try to limit my time sitting at a desk, it’s hard to resist the urge to log on even when I don’t have to. These days a business owner has to have an online presence, and increasingly the job seeker has to have one as well. When I’m not working I’m either updating my websites or checking out a networking site.

In my coaching I’ve spoken with people who say they want to find a new job, but don’t know anyone outside of their company or their industry. If you’re working lots of hours, commuting and taking care of personal things, there isn’t going to be much time left over to attend networking functions. Not to mention that often those events are held during the 9 to 5 working hours.

So with social networking there is the opportunity to connect at any time of the day or night. I was up past midnight the other evening reading messages on a network I belong to. Then of course I had to click through to look at other people’s websites and blogs. Finally I had to stop myself and turn off the pc, if just to give my eyes (and fingers) a break. There are so many options now and they keep coming. It probably makes more sense to focus on the networks I’ve already joined, but then I get an invitation for something else and off I go.

Recently I’ve started using “Twitter.” I have no idea if I’ll keep up with it, but it was something new, so I added it to one of my blogs. Then I checked out “Second Life” which involves creating an identity and choosing an avatar so that you can move around a 3-D virtual world. They have networking events there as well, though I haven’t attended one as yet. At the moment I’m too busy in the “real” world to visit a virtual one, but it’s only a matter of time before I do. On one hand I feel as though I have to be in as many places as possible in order to have an internet presence, on the other hand I wonder how much time online is too much?