I don’t know about you, but if I see one more article telling me how important it is for me to grow my practice through social media, I may toss a grenade. If I see one more article entitled “Seven Important Steps to Take to Improve Your Social Media Presence”, I may toss a brick at my computer screen. If I get invited to one more webinar in which the sponsor promises to deliver the real secrets of social media, I will probably toss my laptop out the window. And if I get one more solicitation from somebody who touts himself or herself as the world’s greatest social media expert (whose most recent prior work experience was working as an accounts payable clerk), I may see if I can lay my hands on one of those Army surplus “Fast and Furious” weapons.

Social media is actually an amazing tool which has revolutionized marketing beyond anybody’s expectation. Its reach, scope, effectiveness and negligible hard cost are almost beyond description. After all, you are reading this piece, as will several tens of thousands of others through that medium.

But like every one of life’s special pleasures, social media has the potential for becoming a consuming addiction, preventing you from actually carrying on your craft.

On his old television show, “You Bet Your Life,” Groucho Marx interviewed a contestant who had twelve children. He asked him why he had so many kids. The contestant replied by saying “because I love my wife,” to which Groucho replied “I love my cigar too, but I do take it out once in a while.” You may love social media, but you do need to take a break from it sometimes.