Last week Bernie from Needle & Foot wrote
this post about social media and it really struck a chord with me. Take a moment to read it if you can, as she brought up some interesting observations about how social media has affected her family.
Living in an “on-demand” world means you can do so many things with very little effort, in practically no time at all. You can send chat instantly with anyone in the world, pay a bill, and buy almost anything at all on the internet, all from the comfort of your living room couch. Twitter, SnapChat, Flickr, Facebook, Periscope, Pinterest, Instagram… all of these platforms reinforce the culture of instant gratification but at what cost?
Now I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with social media platforms. I use some of them every day, but I also know how easy it is to get sucked in. One quick check of Facebook may lead to reading a few articles and then watching a few videos on YouTube, which may lead to sharing them with friends, and before you know it, you're wondering where the last 2 hours went. Maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration but for me, it's enough of an issue that it's time to make a change. Having recently returned from a 12-day vacation with little or no access to the internet, I've gotten some clarity. Life goes on and it's okay if I don't know what movie a friend is seeing, or where so-and-so is eating dinner. That is why I'm going to unplug a bit, at least from Facebook, since that is the biggest distractor in my world. I want to set a better example for my son by putting down the phone and turning off the computer and teach him how to appreciate the social interactions that are in front of him. By limiting myself to 10 minutes of Facebook in the morning and 10 minutes in the evening, I think it will do wonders for my goal of achieving some life balance. Life is so much more fulfilling when you're actually living it instead of reading about it.
Good point! I ought to be sleeping and not playing on social media right now.
ReplyDeleteIsn't there a phrase , live your life not other people's
ReplyDeleteDiana, this is spot on. You expressed so well what I have been thinking about. I was listening to a podcast the other day where they discussed FOMO which is an acronym for 'Fear of Missing Out'. They were talking about how, because people are so wrapped up in social media, there are some who are constantly worrying that they are missing out on what others are doing, or accomplishing, or eating, or making... Etc. I worry that this has gotten out of hand.
ReplyDeleteI applaud you your reduction of social media time spent and the desire to present a more balanced use of screen time to your son. There are so many ways to spend the limited number of hours in the day. Perhaps you'll have even more time to sew!!
so true, when I go on the bus there are always people on their phones not talking but facebook etc, all beyond me, I do follow some groups on it and look at things on instagram but not sure how to comment etc which suits me fine!!all those # things mean nothing to me. Blogging takes up a lot of time as I like to see what everyone is making but it does take up about 2 hours a day mind you I have plenty of time to while away sometimes the day seems never ending to me
ReplyDeleteSo true! I get sucked in to social media and have to step back once and while or else I'll never get anything done :)
ReplyDeleteFirst.... Thank you for directing me to read Bernie's post. I agree with everything you are each saying. Sometimes I feel like I'm not using social media enough. That maybe I'm missing out on the relationships that can develop through Instagram. But for me blogging will always be more about those relationships that develop over time and give you a chance to see the bigger picture of what is going on in the lives of fellow bloggers. Time spent with family is something I have been concentrating on more this summer than I have in quite a while. Our kids grow up too fast and I don't want to miss out. Enjoy the time you spend with your son while you teach him how important it is to just be together!
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