I experienced an interesting social media convergence last week. None of the elements is particularly notable on its own, but their occurrence in quick succession prompted me to reflect on how social media is impacting my day-to-day life.

Twitter-Assisted Journalism

Regular readers will know that I get actively involved in the annual Phoenix Film Festival as both a fan and a volunteer. My festival preview was built around an interview with LA-based actress Christina Rose, who attended the festival for the world premiere of her latest film, Favor.

To set up the interview, I didn’t have to deal with an agent or publicist. I simply tweeted the request to her. She promptly agreed, and DM’d me an email address that I used to send her samples of my writing and work out the interview logistics.

I tweeted her the article when I posted it online. She liked it and retweeted it to her followers, a group that includes the film’s cast and crew, as well as other filmmakers who would be in Phoenix. I was able to chat with Christina and one of the film’s lead actors following the premiere. That was helpful in writing my review. I tweeted a link to Christina, and again she retweeted me.

Discounts on the Spot

Last Saturday was my mother’s birthday. My sister was visiting from Cincinnati, and we took Mom to dinner at Dillon’s on Thunderbird.

While we waited for the check, I used the Groupon app on my iPhone to obtain a $15 discount. The was no need to print anything. The waitress got all the information she needed from the iPhone screen.

Getting Cheesy on Twitter

On Sunday, it was back to the festival for a four-hour volunteer shift followed by a film I wanted to see. I was worried about how I’d fit in dinner. Then I saw a tweet that the Grilled Cheese Truck would be in the  festival parking lot Sunday afternoon.

I’ve blogged about gourmet food trucks before, so I was eager to try out this one. After waiting in a ridiculously slow line, I ordered a grilled mac & cheese sandwich with bacon added.

Here is the mini-review I tweeted:

“Tried @GCTPhoenix at #PhoenixFilm. Sandwich good; service glacial. Woman taking orders was maddeningly slow.”

Moral: Don’t keep hungry people waiting.

So it was a week heavy on social media. It’s amazing how fast it has become integrated into my life. I’m going to monitor the trend and am excited about the possibilities.

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Tags: Christina Rose, Dillon's, Favor, gourmet food trucks, Grilled Cheese Truck, Groupon, iPhone, Phoenix Film Festival, Twitter