33) Telephone

Lately I've been absent on social media. My Twitter and Facebook updates have dwindled, my interactions are few. The sites have become voyeuristic tools, ways to catch snippets of conversations and news as it goes by.

The reason for my silence is simple, yet flawed. When nataliefoundit was in full swing, I was posting anywhere between five and ten things I found interesting per day, and sharing them via social media. As so called "cool hunting" became more of a hobby, the earlier I wanted to know things.

The challenge with trend spotting is staying on top of it. With the viral fluidity of the Internet, something fresh in the morning may be old news by the end of the day. My schedule made it difficult for me to keep up. Instead of being the first, I began to feel like I was posting already buzzed-about items that I'd discovered too late. I wasn't breaking news, I was just adding to the noise. So I stopped.

But here's what I've realized. No matter when you come across something, there will always be people who've already seen it, and others who haven't. It's like a game of telephone, except that you're part of many lines instead of just one. If you simply don't pass the information on, the game stops at you. Everyone who stands behind you will have to receive the message from another source, or might never hear it at all. By not posting, I'm worse than not first - I'm not contributing to the conversation at all.

So here's to social media participation moving forward. First, twenty-fourth, 453rd and beyond.