The Friend-ternet

Watching “American Idol” with a gaggle of opinionated, hilarious and snarky folk, you’ve laughed out loud, been slightly offended and learned something new. Someone just threw a sheep at you, forcing you to retaliate with a good strong poke. Clad in your favorite un-matching PJ’s, you aren’t at a rowdy bar; you’re on Facebook, interacting with a real-time stream of status updates while Simon serves up another thoughtfully crafted verbal bashing.
    If you haven’t experienced this live-event Facebooking phenomenon, you simply must. You can be completely alone in your apartment and feel absolutely engaged with and validated by others.
    Or maybe you aren’t alone, but find your significant other/roommate couldn’t care less about what Sophia Loren looks like under the glare of Oscar’s light (really, what was that?). No worries. You’ve got the undeniably cool power of the Twitter hashtag. Allow me to explain.

Hashtag Happy
Twitter users will attest that every now and then they see a Tweet with a “#something” at the end. That pound sign is a hashtag, which allows one to search and find all Twitter comments tagged that way.
    For example, if you are watching the Grammys and want to view and be a part of the live stream of Grammy Tweets, simply tag your snarky comment with #Grammys. As long as you keep tagging your Tweets that way, fellow Grammy watchers will be able to find and respond to you.
    All this social networking means you are never really alone. There is always someone to chat with, day or night. Keep in mind that it’s all searchable (which can be good or bad depending on one’s penchant for drunken Twitter updates).
    To find Tweets on a subject or view a hashtag stream, just go to Twitter Search at search.twitter.com. It’s also Google-able, of course.

Face-to-Facebook
Another great thing about social media and networking sites is the opportunity to attend or form a Meet Up. Be it Nashville’s Geek Breakfast, the Nashville Twestival or the Predators Fans Tweet Ups at the Flying Saucer, you can actually meet your web pals in person. Crazy, I know!
    It’s also fun to use the “current location” functions on mobile applications like Loopt, Yelp and Twitter to find strangers and friends alike that are near you at this very moment.
    If you know you’ve got plenty of peeps in a certain city, update your Facebook status to include your location and invite them to join you.
    No matter what tech trick you use, it’s now easier than ever to make the transformation from gal-on-her-own to social butterfly.

Safe and Social
Of course, I do need to add the caveat that not everyone on the web is looking out for your best interest. Some of them are indeed quite batty, so please be careful and trust your gut when seeking out a Meet Up.
    But if meeting new folks and/or fighting off loneliness is your goal, give new media a chance to set your social stage. And if you end up doing something really cool, don’t forget to invite me!