Lately, I have been thinking about social networking and what personalities are drawn to it.

For instance, I have accounts on Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, Eons, etc.–but don’t really participate. I don’t post, re-post, share, or poke. If anything, I am more of a voyeur. I will toggle through to see if there is anything interesting going on, and I do enjoy reading news from my scattered family. But, I have a hard time getting excited about the hen that my niece just bought for her Farmville farm, or working up a warm-fuzzy feeling about the plethora of cute cat posters that abound. And now, with the election heating up, I really don’t want to watch that train wreck. People can get downright ugly.

Growing up, my brothers were friends with “Bob.” I have always liked Bob and when he asked me to be his “friend” I accepted. I have since learned more about Bob than I wanted to know. I have learned that he has a very crude sense of humor, is quite self-absorbed, has opinions and is not shy about sharing them—probably a fellow Red.

Unlike most people in my family, I am somewhat apolitical. I do vote, but mostly because I’m afraid my mother will haunt me if I don’t. I try to be well-informed before voting and I am willing to listen to well-articulated reasons for backing a candidate. Bob’s definition of well articulated and mine are very different. He thinks he can sway his Facebook friends to his side by calling the candidates he doesn’t like cruel names. Reminds me of when we were little kids. “I’m not voting for him because he’s a stupid-head.” (OK, it wasn’t that juvenile, but close). Like I said, I don’t normally post on Facebook, but when I read this, I wrote one word “boo.” He promptly told me to go do something I’m pretty sure is anatomically impossible. I promptly unfriended him.

I’m not sure Facebook is the best spot for Reds anyway. We are too opinionated and when you aren’t face to face, it is much easier to sling snide or cruel barbs. People forget that when you argue online it’s like being a contender at a prize-fight full of spectators. And, sadly, your insensitive comments are up there forever.

No…I see Facebook as the realm of the Blues and the Yellows. They are social creatures that post often, and in great detail. For example, my Yellow niece posted: “I’m going to the DMV.” Ten minutes later: “I’m at the DMV.” Five minutes later: “I hate the DMV.” She is so full of herself that she assumes we want a blow-by-blow of her day. I have another “friend” who is Blue and an animal (mostly dog) enthusiast. She scours the internet to find all kinds of dog stories, pictures and anecdotes. They are happy, sad, cute, and most of all abundant.

Yellows and Blues are the ones who share pictures and stories of their families, post the cute cat posters, and share the latest find from Pinterest. They hit the like button often, are delighted by posts and reply their delight. They LOL, OMG, ETC. They are who put the “social” in social networking. It is their element.

My White son isn’t interested in the whole Facebook thing. He is quiet, thoughtful, intelligent, and when he finally does says something, it is concise and to the point—all in 140 characters or less. Yes, his networking site of choice it Twitter. What better place for a White?  On Twitter, you “follow” someone, or they follow you. You don’t feel the overwhelming commitment of being “friends.” You can read the tweets if you want, or ignore them if you choose. If you get tired of someone, you just quit following him or her. No big deal. Meh.

And so, I watch. I continue to be amused by my Yellow niece, admire my Blue friend’s charity, and even follow my son’s thoughts of 140 characters or less. Hmmm. Maybe social networking is for me after all.

Teresa Glenn has been working with the Color Code since 2006, where her main focus is product development. She has been in the publishing and product development field for over 20 years. Teresa is a core Red with a strong Yellow secondary.