Social Media in our Unsocial World

Look at me, blogging on a social media outlet about social media. It's become such a huge staple of life today. I began my journey with AOL instant messenger and chat and progressed to MySpace, mommy forums, blogging, and of course Facebook and Twitter. But WHY? To communicate with others, obviously, but I think it has turned into much more than that, and not just for me. Attention. Yup, I said it! We are all seeking attention. Even right now as I am writing I am hoping someone will read this blog, find it interesting and post/reblog/share/pin it so more eyes can see. But I doubt it will happen... But hey you, yup, YOU are reading, right?

So I was prompted to evaluate my social media use a few days ago when a challenge to stay off Facebook for 5 days was posted and I was tagged.

"No way!"

"Impossible!"

"Uh... Nope"

 

Were just some of the responses that the challenge received. I postponed starting for a weekend thinking it would be easier to start when I was home spending time with my family and keeping busy. I realized that's actually the times I am on the most! 

In the car while my husband is driving? I'll just hop on Facebook and see what other people are doing. Why would I talk to the man I've been married to for 8 years?! LUDICROUS!

Outside watching my boys play? Oh, man are they cute! I better snap pictures and post them on Facebook! Oh look! Someone posted a funny cat video! Wait look at that obnoxious politically driven post!! I just HAVE to read all these idiotic comments from people I don't know that clearly have no life to sit and post on freaking Facebook all day. Why should I actually engage in playtime with my kids? Who has the time for that?!

I know I'm not alone in this. You see posts about it all the time, you know, while you are just going to check in on Facebook and you stumble across that heart wrenching video of the demise of our physical social networking skills. But that is just an exaggeration, right? Surely YOU aren't that bad... WE as a whole aren't REALLY like that! 

But aren't we? Don't we miss out on things all the time because we are caught behind a screen? And if it's not Facebook or Twitter maybe it's that important text or that completely unimportant game alert (candy crush it totally life or death, right?!).

It consumes us. If we are being honest, completely and truly honest, we all have to admit we are guilty more times than we like. 

So here I go, yet again, to put the screens aside and leave them aside. Leaving it in another room is usually the easiest way, sad but true. I am going to focus full on my kids. Will you join me in this attempt to rebuild relationships with those that really matter? Those all important people who are physically there, right over there in the very same room as you! Put the screen aside and look into their eyes when you talk to them. Touch their arm as you playfully push them when they make do or say something that LITERALLY makes you Laugh Out Loud and they are there to hear it! Make and build those connections in real life. It matters. It really does.

If you need me I'll be playing Uno with my kid. No pictures included .