<p>Social media is only annoying if you allow it to be. Just like much of life, you can control it - how much, how often, with who, etc. - the people who complain that it’s annoying aren’t exercising their option to control. (in personal life anyway - if you use SM for work purposes, which I do, sometimes it isn’t under your control!!)</p>
<p>I still send cards although the list is getting smaller. I do believe I just wrote the last holiday newsletter though.</p>
<p>I love social media. It has enabled me to get back in touch with people I really liked but lost track of over the years because of (years ago!) the difficulty and time involved in mailing letters and the costs of long distance phone calls. I’m happy to be in touch with these people again. I don’t find rebuilding relationships to be annoying at all. </p>
<p>FWIW, I consider CC a form of social media.</p>
<p>^^^ Absolutely agree with that 2016, CC is a form of social media.</p>
<p>I love FB for the same reason that 2016BarnardMom mentions, plus it’s an easy way to share photos. Another bonus is that I have a great collection of my family photos that will always be on FB. I can scroll back and see pictures I’d forgotten about - such as my son at some of his HS cross-country races several years ago.</p>
<p>I greatly dislike receiving a boxed card with just a signature from someone that has to sign their last name so I remember who they are. Second to that is the typed summary of their year people send now instead of a card. Seriously? If I didn’t already know what you were up to all year, I don’t need it now. Worst would be if you emailed it to me. I don’t even open those.</p>
<p>The ones I do like is a card with the family photo. I may keep up to with you but not get to see you often and watching the kids and family grow is wonderful. Keep sending those.</p>
<p>I do not, however, need a card from people I see often. I know what you’re up to, I see how the kids are changing and my trash man does not need more paper added to his pile. Save the postage.</p>
<p>I do, however, like FB. I can keep up with cousins far away and former neighbors now living in foreign countries. I don’t have to have actual conversations unless I want to. Just brief news of their new grandchild or home. Precious.</p>
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<p>Wow. You all are curmudgeons 
When you don’t keep up with someone, it IS nice to know - oh, this kid started college, they moved to Florida, whatever their milestones are.</p>
<p>Wellspring, given that you are posting on CC, and in the cafe to boot, I’d say you have already been lured into social media. There are many ways to use Facebook - what I like best about it is that they’ve made it really easy to post photos. It’s a great way to keep in touch with my far-flung family.</p>
<p>I don’t love getting Christmas cards with just a signature, but most of those tend to be locals who I see all the time. I like the newsletters that include family photos. And I like the ones that have a bit of a personality best. We have some friends who are very funny.</p>
<p>I agree that I am disappointed if I receive a Christmas card that only has a name signature. Probably why I used to always dread the task of doing Christmas cards - I always felt like I had to muster up creativity for EVERY SINGLE CARD sent and write some additional comments that made it personal! 
I actually feel this way about any cards - not just Christmas - and tend to rarely buy bday cards either. </p>
<p>While I would never be one to write the “Christmas letter” (some of them we receive feel very braggy - “only these very fabulous things happened in our household this year and NOTHING adverse!!!”) I do give props to anyone who takes the time to do this. My favorite “cards” are those that are a photo - they get a spot right on the refrigerator. Especially if there are adorable children on them!</p>
<p>My mom sends out a newsletter every year. She always asks my sister and me to write up a paragraph about our family’s year. As some of you who have followed my posts know, this has probably been our WORST year ever - son’s hospitalizations for mental illness, husband’s surgery to repair a severed tendon; middle son barely graduating from high school; horrendous financial situation, etc. But anyone reading my mom’s letter will think we had a FABULOUS year. I just couldn’t bring myself to share bad news.</p>
<p>Well, okay, it hadn’t occurred to me that CC is social media. I guess it is to a certain extent, although it’s peopled entirely by those I’ve never met IRL. Which is not the case with most of what I consider social media.</p>
<p>I have Facebook friends that I’ve never met IRL - similar to “CC friends”. And I have Facebook friends whom I haven’t seen in years (old college classmates, former coworkers, things of that nature).</p>
<p>Wellspring, is there really a difference between if I were to post on CC something to the effect that I hope everyone has a happy and healthy holiday season, and if I were to post the same thing as my Facebook status? It’s not all that different.</p>
<p>And I would absolutely understand that Maine - not sharing the bad news. I guess I would just have to present it that way myself - that while the year was not perfect, here are some really great things that happened.</p>
<p>I can’t compare CC and Facebook because I’ve never seen or been on Facebook-- I’ve only heard about it. But I certainly do wish everyone here a happy and healthy holiday!</p>
<p>Then what’s your basis for thinking it’s about “superficial community”? As said upthread, it’s only as superficial or as intrusive as you make it be. Happy holidays to you too! (See, I’m a stranger!)</p>
<p>Maine- my mother would have NEVER shared bad news in a Christmas card- or almost ever, for that matter. Our life was very Pollyanna-ish (not really). I think I over-corrected and I shared all the bad stuff my family went through in past years. I kept some humor in it, but I put it all out there. The reaction I got was an outpouring of thanks and appreciation and that it was the best, most authentic letter they had ever received.</p>
<p>Just to clarify, I didn’t call Facebook a superficial community, I opined that Christmas cards are a superficial communique. But both Facebook and Christmas cards are getting along without me quite well (and vice versa.)</p>
<p>I am bemused by people who gripe about <em>any</em> nice method old friends and aquaintances use to keep in touch, no matter how sporadic they may be. And I don’t care if it is an email, a snail mail card, or a Facebook post.</p>
<p>As long as it isn’t a severed horse head in my bed…</p>
<p>I think it’s really silly when I receive cards from people I have not spoken to in years and years. Also, I get a laugh when I receive cards that are square and require extra postage, especially when I know these people are having financial issues. Actually, I really don’t like receiving holiday cards in general. I would much prefer a handwritten note.</p>
<p>That being said I am a strong letter writer and I believe in sending physical thank you notes and birthday cards. I love beautiful papers and the process of hand writing notes. I do use the holidays as a time to reflect on who I haven’t connected with and thanked and will write notes and/or make some calls.</p>