From Unfocused Noise to Tuning the Signal: What I’m Getting Out of Social Media in 2026
AI will never beat my illustration skills.
I’ve never been a big social media person. But in 2026, I’m experimenting with a time-boxed, VO-focused scroll that reliably turns a few minutes of online noise into real-world connections, training opportunities, and momentum.
Where It Started
Social media has never been my thing. If you know me, this isn’t a surprise. BUT! I started intentionally diving into VO industry-related feeds/groups, giving myself a time limit of just a few minutes, usually less than 10, to scroll around until I’ve found one or two things that made me go “huh!” Sometimes, I’ll even comment!
This has paid off already.
Historically, I haven’t contributed much to social media. It’s not a decree or anything, I just haven’t been much of a poster. But I made a goal for 2026 to reach out of my orbit and connect with more folks in the VO world.
At the moment, I’m seeking in-person opportunities because adding more Zoom hangs to my life doesn’t seem like the right answer? So after a long time of waffling on the decision, I decided to take the plunge to attend VO Atlanta next month and take several workshops. I’m equal parts terrified and excited; more on all that later.
So after signing up for the conference, I still had a few questions for the organizers and was directed to their Facebook group. This is where things started to bloom.
I likely sound insane, writing a post about “hey everyone! I found information on the internet!” but I abandoned my personal Facebook profile probably 15 years ago, so I’m way out of the loop. I created a new account, focusing squarely on professional connections, same as LinkedIn. Then I started finding other Facebook VO groups to join, picked a few of the more busy ones, and then started checking in once a day.
What I’m Actually Getting From It
Right away I see posts from the podcasters I listen to, and what they’re up to and what events are happening, so much activity.
I see a group for voice actors local to Chicago, join that, and start ideating with the group owner about creating a regular in-person meetup.
I see a post related to VO Atlanta that might provide another opportunity to train and rehearse with other humans in-person—I throw my hat in the ring there.
And then I see a popular VO industry voice post about their coaching session being broadcast live, and it’s free to watch. Umm yeah?! So I sign up and watch that.
During that session, it’s mentioned that the coach offers a complimentary coaching— OK, then— booked that for the next day.
And now I’m writing this post-coaching session, wanting to redo all my demos ;) and have so many things swirling around in my head. I’m mainly kind of stunned at the real-world things I’ve connected in just a short time, by being intentional and curated with my social media consumption.
Don’t get me wrong—I’m no saint. This tactic doesn’t always work. I mean, the nature of those platforms are to keep you there, scrolling away, and wow— Facebook throws some real curveballs at you, right?
Question for you:
I’d love to hear from others on what exactly they’re taking from social media these days. Also, what in-person stuff are you into, or want to see?