I'm just going to get straight to the point...
In my opinion, and experience....
social media is stealing away our lives. Our joy. Our time and efforts.
For a good while now, we have been texting, Facebooking, Snapping, and more-- at what cost though?
I can remember the first time I sent a text message. I didn't even really know if you could send a typed message through the air waves, but I had heard that people were doing it, and so-- yeah-- I thought I would too.
I was in Arkansas visiting my family, and my husband and I were fighting about something. I don't remember what-- but I remember that I was around too many people to call him on the phone and scream at him, so instead, I did it through text message. And although it took about 20 minutes to type out what I could have said in like 5, I felt empowered. I could say what I wanted, from 600 miles away, and I didn't have to deal with what came back.
I could just ignore it...or I could respond. But since we weren't face to face, I felt more empowered.
It's funny that I can't remember what the fight was about... but I do remember that it was bad enough that I decided to stay an extra two weeks!
During that time, I worked on my texting game, while fighting with my husband through a tiny box.
That was back in 2003, when the letters were on the number buttons, and so for like "a" you would push the one button, once. For the "e" you would push the 2 twice. Each button represented 3 letters, except the 0, pound (hash tag for you youngsters), and star key.
Wow.
That really wasn't that long ago.
14 years.
There has been so much advancement since then.
It's now 2017. Almost everyone has a cell phone, home phones are outdated.
Most people have Facebook, Twitter, and/or Instagram... nearly everyone has some form of social media, as an app, on their phone, or they log in online.
Is it really okay, for a little box to contain so much insight, information, and access to the world?
Is it okay that we have 100s of friends on Facebook and social media, yet hardly any friends in real life? Should we feel okay about being social online, but being awkward and shy in real life?
Is it okay for us to find our voice through a text message, or an online blog, a rant on facebook...
but never have the balls to say it out loud, in real time, unfiltered or edited?
Should we really just buy our kids tablets and phones and laptops and turn them loose? Should we just go along and act like this is all fine and good and dandy, because that's the norm these days.
We literally have a window to the world, where we proudly share moments of our lives.
Adults, teens, and children spend countless hours on social media, communicating behind a screen.
Just like we can see out that window, we allow people to see in too.
Instead of absorbing the moment, being present in it, we're worried about snapping a pic to post later.
The problem though, isn't just on technological advancements. It's on us.
We lack discipline.
We don't put it down, even when our eyes are tired, our neck is strained, and we know we should.
People text and drive. People use their phones in the bathtub. When sitting in the doctor's office, walking down the street.
We're plugged in, almost all the time.
I'm guilty too. I'm probably one of the guilty-est.
I rant on facebook-- a lot. I post to this blog. It's how I share my thoughts.
But lately, sometimes, it feels like a burden. A burden that I want to take part in, even though I know that I need to be more disciplined. Real life awaits.
Sometimes, I wish we could just go back to basics and do away with it all.
But then, I think about how any time I want to know something, I can just Google it.
When my kids want to learn about something new, and I don't have the answers... I go online.
My family and I connect over facebook with pictures and comments and likes.
It's a little window into each other's lives that we wouldn't have.
But with all the good technology and social media can bring, it can become a huge problem.
It's so distracting.
I'm challenging myself.
For the next 2 weeks, I'm doing a social/emotional experiment.
I will only allow myself up to 2 hours/day of online time.
I've done this before, without documenting, but I can tell you I felt a lot better. I got more done, I thought of new things I wanted to do. And at the end of each day, I felt accomplished.
Do you know how crappy it is, that we (I) snap at my kids sometimes because they're tugging at me and saying "Mom, Mom, MOMMMMM!???" I'm ignoring them, and checked out of real life, and into social media.
Why? Why do I do that? I feel so bad about it. They are so much more important.
I challenge you to put a number on the amount of hours that you spend socializing and networking online.
Once you know that number, you can then decide if you think you need to cut back or not.
But one thing is certain...we should be mindful. We should set limits, especially for our kids.
All things can be good in moderation, but too much of something, isn't good for anyone...and it seems that most of us are just a little too plugged in.
For the next two weeks...I will take one to two hours. Most of that time will be spent working on the blog, or editing and uploading YouTube videos.
Instead of scrolling through facebook, or checking in on Instagram... I will take a walk to the park with the kids. I will start a garden...like I've been meaning to do for a month now.
We will read more good books. Hopefully I'll get some good time in with my husband.
I will be more mindful with my time. I will be present. I will live my life, in my life, through my life, and in the moment.
I'll live life for real...instead of behind the screens.
I challenge you to do the same. Leave your comments below!
 |
| How many of these moments do I miss? |
In my opinion, and experience....
social media is stealing away our lives. Our joy. Our time and efforts.
For a good while now, we have been texting, Facebooking, Snapping, and more-- at what cost though?
I can remember the first time I sent a text message. I didn't even really know if you could send a typed message through the air waves, but I had heard that people were doing it, and so-- yeah-- I thought I would too.
I was in Arkansas visiting my family, and my husband and I were fighting about something. I don't remember what-- but I remember that I was around too many people to call him on the phone and scream at him, so instead, I did it through text message. And although it took about 20 minutes to type out what I could have said in like 5, I felt empowered. I could say what I wanted, from 600 miles away, and I didn't have to deal with what came back.
I could just ignore it...or I could respond. But since we weren't face to face, I felt more empowered.
It's funny that I can't remember what the fight was about... but I do remember that it was bad enough that I decided to stay an extra two weeks!
During that time, I worked on my texting game, while fighting with my husband through a tiny box.
That was back in 2003, when the letters were on the number buttons, and so for like "a" you would push the one button, once. For the "e" you would push the 2 twice. Each button represented 3 letters, except the 0, pound (hash tag for you youngsters), and star key.
Wow.
That really wasn't that long ago.
14 years.
There has been so much advancement since then.
It's now 2017. Almost everyone has a cell phone, home phones are outdated.
Most people have Facebook, Twitter, and/or Instagram... nearly everyone has some form of social media, as an app, on their phone, or they log in online.
Is it really okay, for a little box to contain so much insight, information, and access to the world?
Is it okay that we have 100s of friends on Facebook and social media, yet hardly any friends in real life? Should we feel okay about being social online, but being awkward and shy in real life?
Is it okay for us to find our voice through a text message, or an online blog, a rant on facebook...
but never have the balls to say it out loud, in real time, unfiltered or edited?
Should we really just buy our kids tablets and phones and laptops and turn them loose? Should we just go along and act like this is all fine and good and dandy, because that's the norm these days.
We literally have a window to the world, where we proudly share moments of our lives.
Adults, teens, and children spend countless hours on social media, communicating behind a screen.
Just like we can see out that window, we allow people to see in too.
Instead of absorbing the moment, being present in it, we're worried about snapping a pic to post later.
The problem though, isn't just on technological advancements. It's on us.
We lack discipline.
We don't put it down, even when our eyes are tired, our neck is strained, and we know we should.
People text and drive. People use their phones in the bathtub. When sitting in the doctor's office, walking down the street.
We're plugged in, almost all the time.
I'm guilty too. I'm probably one of the guilty-est.
I rant on facebook-- a lot. I post to this blog. It's how I share my thoughts.
But lately, sometimes, it feels like a burden. A burden that I want to take part in, even though I know that I need to be more disciplined. Real life awaits.
Sometimes, I wish we could just go back to basics and do away with it all.
But then, I think about how any time I want to know something, I can just Google it.
When my kids want to learn about something new, and I don't have the answers... I go online.
My family and I connect over facebook with pictures and comments and likes.
It's a little window into each other's lives that we wouldn't have.
But with all the good technology and social media can bring, it can become a huge problem.
It's so distracting.
I'm challenging myself.
For the next 2 weeks, I'm doing a social/emotional experiment.
I will only allow myself up to 2 hours/day of online time.
I've done this before, without documenting, but I can tell you I felt a lot better. I got more done, I thought of new things I wanted to do. And at the end of each day, I felt accomplished.
Do you know how crappy it is, that we (I) snap at my kids sometimes because they're tugging at me and saying "Mom, Mom, MOMMMMM!???" I'm ignoring them, and checked out of real life, and into social media.
Why? Why do I do that? I feel so bad about it. They are so much more important.
I challenge you to put a number on the amount of hours that you spend socializing and networking online.
Once you know that number, you can then decide if you think you need to cut back or not.
But one thing is certain...we should be mindful. We should set limits, especially for our kids.
All things can be good in moderation, but too much of something, isn't good for anyone...and it seems that most of us are just a little too plugged in.
For the next two weeks...I will take one to two hours. Most of that time will be spent working on the blog, or editing and uploading YouTube videos.
Instead of scrolling through facebook, or checking in on Instagram... I will take a walk to the park with the kids. I will start a garden...like I've been meaning to do for a month now.
We will read more good books. Hopefully I'll get some good time in with my husband.
I will be more mindful with my time. I will be present. I will live my life, in my life, through my life, and in the moment.
I'll live life for real...instead of behind the screens.
I challenge you to do the same. Leave your comments below!
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