I read an interesting article in The Guardian today; a very frightening warning about the dangers of social media. If you find yourself checking one or more social media outlets every day, I recommend you you read it. [Our minds can be hacked].
I've had a love/hate relationship with Facebook, as I'm sure is true for many of you. It provides the introvert with a near-perfect way to stay (sort of) connected with friends and family. I can know who's on vacation and where you're traveling; I can see pictures of your kids and watch them grow; I can know what my niece is growing in her garden; I can read about your successes, and even your failures. But more and more, these days, I scroll through my feed and see stupid memes and animated GIFs, clickbait, ads for merchandise I have no interest in, and boring animal videos. (Sorry dog lovers.) Even the news and political commentary have been taken over by shallow logic, misguided outrage, and useless hyperbole. All that, when all I really want is an honest relationship with a few people; a relationship where we have thoughtful conversations about interesting topics; a relationship in which we both feel safe to share and be ourselves without having to worry about what others think.
Unfortunately, time, distance, and that aforementioned introversion can make it nearly impossible for me to achieve that in the "normal" world - the world of extraverts. But I'm going to try this thing - a personal blog. A way for me to share what I'm doing, what I'm reading, what I'm thinking about and, sometimes, what I'm feeling. And a way to invite others to join me in conversation. I'm not looking for "likes", I'm looking for real interaction - starting here in the ether and, hopefully, moving into the physical world. So, if you're willing to try something different, stop by now and then.
Give me some feedback, share your thoughts, tell me what you're up to,
and then let's make a date to go for a walk, have coffee, go look at art, meet at the spa... just please don't invite me to a party!
I've thought about giving up on Facebook. I'm surprised by my seeming need to check it every hour. Worse, my emotions get hijacked by the inane and thoughtless postings of others or, the reverse, I am mortified at the responses to my own inane postings. I admire you for having the courage/common sense to do so. Like you, I'm content to keep tabs on others through Facebook and, honestly, it's been a way for me to get to know people I'm related to but would never ever call (because I'm not a phone person, not because I dislike them).
ReplyDeleteTim, is that you??? Thanks for checking out my blog. I hope you'll come back. I haven't totally divorced myself from facebook yet but I'm in a weaning process. I, too, have gotten to know some family members better who I have not had a relationship with as an adult. That's a good thing. I hope this blog will eventually replace the addictive facebook.
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