Right?! And you know as well as I do that the scenes depicted in that first video aren't exaggerated. I am pretty sure the majority of us have done one, or more, of those things. I know I have. Much to my shame and compulsion.
Authentic social life has been hijacked for the sake of technology and advancements. It makes me sad. Yes, I participate in it - probably too much - and even as I do I hate it. I hate that my connections have diminished to the point of a thumbs up and that I can fake a good mood and nobody is the wiser. I hate that I can be a totally different person through social media and people like me for a false representation of who I am. (Btw, I am probably 99% authentic on my social media sites, my theory is if I can't be the same person on social media as I am in person then I need to reevaluate myself. Ask people who have known me long before social media made an appearance - heck before computers were even around! - and I hope they would say that I am the same on social media as in person.) I hate that smart phones have actually dumbed us down - we no longer have to think for ourselves and try to find answers out on our own, that's what Google is for. I hate that kids these days don't know how to spell properly, they don't know how to write in full sentences, they don't use etiquette while on the phone, they can barely hand write anything, any teacher right now could add to this particular list I've got going on. I hate that people have become uncomfortable with silence and with themselves, that they feel they need to distract themselves all of the time lest they are forced to be introspective or engage with others. I hate that eye contact has become extinct and people are more comfortable looking at their screens than in the eyes of someone. I hate that people have used social media as their newest platform to be rude, passive aggressive, pompous. I hate that people somehow think it is okay to tear other people's beliefs, ideas, and thoughts to shreds and use social media as their excuse for poor behavior. There's more that I dislike but I think you get the idea.
I know. The lady doth protest too much while posting this newest blog on her social media site. I know! There are some benefits to social media. I am grateful it provides me a way to keep in touch with my friends overseas - I can see pictures of them and their families, I can communicate rather quickly with them, I can glimpse into their daily lives. I like all those things for friends out of state or even out of town. BUT. But nothing beats face to face, voice to voice, heart to heart relationship. Nothing. Social Media has convinced us that it compares, is perhaps even equal to. It is not. There's no other way to say it, nothing beats real time.
I'm not the only one who uses social media, sees its downfalls, and hates it. Since MySpace hit the scene (and then got chased away by Facebook) and phones got "smart" people have started to recognize the trappings of social media. I remember a few years ago reading an article in Reader's Digest (which I looked for and can't find but trust me on this one okay?) about a group of friends who decided they were way too attached to screens and not enough to true face time. So they turned off their phones every weekend for an entire day and connected...for real, you know the "old-fashioned" way. They would have brunch together and make eye contact and not even think about what they might be missing on Facebook (although it could have been MySpace back then) and they experienced authentic relationship. And the more they did this the easier it got to stay unattached to their smart phones and social media outlets even when they did choose to have access. What held them back from an authentic social life lost its power as they made a choice to disengage to engage. I've kept that in mind through the years and while I have said I want to practice that I haven't.
At least not until this past weekend. :)
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