Letter from the Editor

In my previous editor’s note, and in my appearance on Hawaii News Now last week, I was all like, “check Metro out on social media, Twitter this, Instagram that.” Anybody who actually knows me probably found this hilarious — because they would know that I had little idea of what I was talking about.

Sure, I have had Facebook for several years. I’ve dabbled in Snapchat. I have a neglected Twitter account. I would be extra lost without our social media manager, Nicole Kato, whom I often ask probably the most inane questions. At the urging (coercion?) of Nicole and our other coworkers, I finally got an Instagram (The hashtag #getadamninstagramalreadychristina began circulating…) and am making an effort to be a little more active on other sites. (Although one thing that upsets me about my newly minted Instagram is finding friends’ pictures that they had previously texted me — and realizing no, they did not take that adorable kitten photo specifically for me. I am looking at you, Glen.)

Part of the reason I resisted for so long is that social media creeps me out a bit. Just look at some of the lingo: When you want to be able to look at someone’s posts on Twitter and Instagram, it’s called “following” them.

But therein also lies a lot of the appeal. We want to know what is going on in everyone else’s lives. Social media allows us to pull back a curtain into the private lives of others and take a look.

To discuss how social media intersects with our real lives, Christa Wittmier (perhaps better known as† SuperCW), has joined Metro as a contributing writer. Her column, SuperTech, will review various apps, share her social media experiences and explore how we interact with technology. This week, she tells us why Snapchat is one of her favorite apps. Check that out on page 9.

And speaking of Internet things, I got to chat with Doris Duke Theatre film curator Abigail Algar about the upcoming Internet Cat Video Festival. This might be the cutest thing to ever happen. See the story on page 12. (See? The masthead does have a point! Although sometimes, I admit, we do wear those cat ears just for fun…)

While I mull over my feelings on social media, you can find me on Instagram (@christinawongoconnor) and Twitter (@Christinaoc_9). Let’s get to know each other better before I share my Snapchat.