Social media is designed to be disseminated through social interaction. Unfortunately, we live in the time of “me” through Facebook status updates, personal blogs and 140-character reports about how badly you wish it was snowing, or how cold it is, or how good that turkey sandwich is at your local deli. And while these advances in technology have connected us with more of our fellow skiers than at anytime in the sports long history, we’ve simultaneously become disconnected from the actual experiences we’re so keen to share. High fives and happy smiles from stomped tricks and deep pow will always be better than comments and digitized “likes”. So put down the damn phone you’re using to capture a moment another skier is experiencing, and instead see if you can keep up. Follow him, not on Twitter, but through the woods, up the chair, and down to the park, onto the fun box, and back up the gondola. Better yet, don’t follow anyone. Blaze your own trail. Later at the bar, you’ll “like” yourself for finally waking up from your RSS feed slumber and making a new friend that doesn’t have to accept a cyberspace request. Only then will you be able to adequately update your status with a simple and effective, “I love skiing”. -Mike Rogge

@SkiingRogge is the associate editor of @PowderMagazine. He loves #skiing, #socialmedia, #newyorkmets, and irony.

(From the January 2011 issue of Powder Magazine)