Social Unnetworking.....

"My name is Malcolm Holt and I waste too much time on social networking sites!"
There, I've said it. Since I gave up the day job some 18 months ago, I have spent heaven knows how many hours a day on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Google, etc....... I have never worked out how many of those hours could have been used for writing books and, more importantly, talking to my family. We get sucked into this virtual world where we are led to believe that it will do us some good.
Since I joined Facebook, essentially to promote myself as a new writer, I have somehow joined a number of 'groups' and I must confess I don't really know what half of them are for. Yes, I have been lured into the world of 'let's put Youtube videos' on Facebook, it'll be fun. I tweet with people who I will never actually meet and if I'm honest, I don't remember many of them. Perhaps, one day, someone will explain Goodreads to me.
I have come to the conclusion that I spend a lot of time communicating with the same people who are already aware of whom I am and what I write. This does not improve sales...or does it? I am now thinking that my time would be better served actually writing my books and if people want to read them, they will find them. The most important people in anybody's life are family and friends, people who they really know.
The time has come for me to stop messing about on social network sites for hours on end and to relearn the art of conversation. I received a timely reminder of this when one of my sons commented that if someone wanted me to answer their question, they should tweet it to me. On that note.............................