Over the last few years social networking has become prominent in our world. Facebook, which was founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg as online network for Harvard students, has since evolved into more than 300 million active users including high school students, college students and adults of all ages. Companies, people and groups also can create pages so members can become “fans.” Have a favorite sports team, restaurant or magazine? You can fan them on Facebook and get regular updates. There’s also Twitter — a way for friends to “follow” each other and know what everyone is up to in 140 characters or less. It’s now also a way for companies to send quick updates and news to their followers. Linked In is growing from a network for job seekers to include Groups so that people with like interests can connect and interact.

Too Much or Just Enough?

Some people thrive on the constant connectivity to their friends, colleagues and various interests. Some use it simply to connect to old friends or share with close friends and family only. And some people question if it’s all just too much — too much information, too much sharing, too much distraction.

The way I see it, why not take advantage of it in the way that best suits you? Use it to get information about what you want or to connect to the people or groups you want. Turn it on when you want to connect and step away when you need to focus on a task at hand. Social networking can be very valuable to get quick bites of news or to learn interesting facts about friends as well as to get updates from companies, groups, etc. It may be a great way for you to connect with patients so they know when you begin offering a new service or to share interesting news about skin care.

And now Skin & Aging is available on Facebook, Twitter and Linked In to provide you with information on articles we’re working on, when new online exclusives (like our videos) are available on our Web site, or to alert you to interesting dermatology news. You can connect to us on all of these or choose the network that best suits your needs. No matter what you choose, we hope to provide you with valuable information as well as a place where you can provide feedback on ideas for articles, to comment on a recent article or alert us to news in the industry. Staying connected can help us make sure we’re providing you with the content you really need.

Log on to www.skinandaging.com for links to all our pages. Become a fan, a follower, a group member or all three and let us know what you’re doing. We look forward to connecting.

Sincerely,
Stefanie Tuleya
Executive Editor
stuleya@hmpcommunications.com
twitter.com/SA_Editor