To think that people on Twitter and Mumsnet and Facebook......

[verysmellyeli]

.....can't possibly have time for anything else?

I only say this because I have recently joined Twitter and am wondering where it sits in the lives of people who have a non-computer based actual face-to-face kind of job and are not a) journalists b) freelance or c) in advertising. I find it fascinating and can spend hours on it - but what am I getting from it? Is it enhancing my life? Would I not be better off having an actual conversation with my actual husband?

Facebook - fine, check in once a day, see people's photos, be mildly amusing about the children/work/current affairs. Mumsnet - lurk, post occasionally, look up potential purchases, avoid offal recipes.

But Twitter - what is it actually for? I am interested to know how people use it. Am I only on it because I feel that if I'm not on it I am missing out on some cool thing that everyone else is doing? flashback to schooldays, where everyone else always seemed to be having more fun

[verysmellyeli]

Excuse excessive use of the word actually, actually.

[SausageSmuggler]

I suppose it depends on how long is spent on the sites. I've been on all 3 for ages and I don't suppose they enhance my life greatly but I like the social aspect of it all.

As for Twitter, I joined so I could subtly stalk celebrities I fancy. It suprised me that a lot of the people I thought would be really interesting and funny just aren't and vice versa.

[BoulevardOfBrokenSleep]

Well, how many people are you following on Twitter?

I have about 100; a lot of that is music-type news and bands. Um, what else... a few mates, some journos and political stuff. A couple of authors.

So I check in once or twice a day; you can make a list thingy where you can quickly have a look at a group of connected folks and see what you've missed.

[troisgarcons]

I just dont get the twitter thing either

[ChuffMuffin]

I use Twitter for news, friends and a little bit of celeb stuff. It's unreal how fast breaking news travels on Twitter! Charlie Brooker is ace on Twitter. I love watching him wind people up week after week.

Also if anyone's name is in a Trending Topic I always click it to check if they've died . Unless it's Justin Bieber who is pretty much constantly trending.

[exoticfruits]

I have never got twitter. I have never seen anything remotely interesting.

[MadamTwoSwords]

Better not go on pinterest then OP, that can steal HOURS of your life.

[rogersmellyonthetelly]

I loathe fb and couldn't tweet to save my life. Never had time to leArn as I'm too busy on mn.....

[SarahStratton]

Twitter - can't for the life of me work it out.
Facebook - for RL only - ie I only have family and about 4 other people on it.
Mumsnet - my constant companion.

DDs are teenagers though, and I don't work. Once I've done the housework, the day is my own.

[ditzymitzy2]

i love twitter, its by far the best of the lot

you can choose to be political, comical, intellectual, bloody damn rude, or a mixture of all of them if you like

[verysmellyeli]

Ooops, sorry for not coming back to thread - busy in RL.
Have just found Pinterest within the last month but it's too aspirational for me - my life will never look that beautiful or organised no matter how many times I kid myself that I'm going to make all my Christmas presents (although I have had remarkable success today with Nigella's pomegranate vodka).
I suppose I just feel that I may be missing out on RL or sleep by being digitally interested in all these things people. On Twitter, I follow about 60 people on Twitter so far (mainly funny women - Caitlin Moran, India Knight etc.) and find it all terribly funny but not actually happening to me, IYSWIM.

(I suspect that once I go back to work after mat leave, I may not have time to brush my hair, let alone be funny in 140 characters or less.)