Using social media to stay in touch with friends is nothing new.  This was one of the original drivers behind Facebook when it was developed on a college campus. For those of us in a slightly older generation, we have picked up social media as a channel and tactic  for business first.  At least that was true for me.  Now I am rapidly collecting my friends  – old and new – to stay in touch using various social media tools.

Improving relationships

Staying in touch is one of the reasons I am thankful for social media. It has helped  with my family and now I am integrating it into how I keep connected to friends from college, hometown, friends in past towns and states.  I can take a moment, when it is convenient for me, to see what is happening in their lives.

Here are ways I am using it:

• to find college friends
• to find academic friends who were in the same degree program
• to find people I used to work with
• to find high school friends
• to find everyone who might be from a hometown
• to gather people I work out with
• to meet new friends with similar non work interests
• to create a group of bikers who like certain types of biking

I can choose to participate with a comment or email, or upload a picture. I like best to use Facebook,  Youtube and Flickr. But I have also incorporated Yahoo Groups, LinkedIn and Plaxo to dig people up or to share content.

Lately, with some long drives on the interstate between appointments, I have tried a few video blog posts to share.  Part 1 was about family. This one is Part 2- Friend Relationships  in my series of Why I am Thankful for Social Media:

Have you made new friends or reconnected with others by using a social media site?  Which ones were most helpful to you and why? Please share in comments.

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