So, if you know anything about me, you will quickly realize that I am completely and utterly addicted to social media. If I have spare time on my hands, you can usually find me browsing Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. I get really excited when someone likes a picture, or leaves a comment, or retweets something I posted. But, lately, I have started to become more and more disenchanted with the whole realm of social media.
First off, it is an addiction plain and simple. And addictions aren't healthy. If I want to be living a full and healthy life, it needs to be out in the world doing real things and enjoying every moment, not sitting by myself reading about everyone else's life on a phone screen. Or planning things in life on Pinterest. It's just unhealthy.
Secondly, social media has become the new way to have friendships. You can be "best friends" with someone, and never actually have to hang out with them or use your vocal chords to have a conversation. It has changed the entire dynamic of friendships. Someone got engaged? Great! I saw it on Facebook. Someone is having a baby? Yeah. I saw the announcement on Facebook. What happened to the days when being someone's friend meant getting together for coffee or at the very least gracing them with a phone call to talk about something big, important, and life-changing? I love my friends, but I don't want to have to find out every detail of their lives by looking at their Facebook or Twitter. I want to sit down and have coffee, and let them talk about whatever they want to update me on. I want to go to dinner and see their face when they announce that they're engaged. I don't want an inbox message or to see the status update telling me all about this exciting part of their life, I want us BOTH to be able to live it.
Third, I am quickly realizing that the people I'm friends with on Facebook says something about me. Whether or not I intend it, what THEY are posting is reflected through me. When my friend opens up my Facebook as a joke to post a "Hacked. Lol." status, I don't want them to have to see the f-bomb a thousand times, or see a half-naked woman that you liked or shared. I don't want to see it either, but sadly, a good portion of my "friends" are only still friends on social media because it would cause more drama to unfriend them than to just ignore their posts. But, I'm tired of letting social media dictate my life. If I don't want to see that, why should I have to?
My fourth and final point, and also the biggest point of this post, came to me after a specifically challenging chapel today. You see, the speaker talked about how we so often see ourselves doing something other that what we are called to do. Whether you are called to be a teacher, a preacher, a nurse, or a trash man you are still called to be a light for Christ. This doesn't just mean on Sundays or during Bible study, it means all the time, every moment. You know when you just really want to smack something (or someone) because you are so annoyed? Don't do it. Remember that even in that moment you are called to be a Christ-like example. This includes in our social media. Now, I hope and pray that the stuff I'm posting on social media isn't considered inappropriate by any means, but I don't just want it to be considered appropriate, I want it to reflect and glorify a God who died to save me from my sins, who wants to heal my hurts, who catches every tear I cry, who has a wonderful and glorious plan for my life (greater than anything I could ever imagine for myself), and when I look at my social media profiles through that lens, I see just how short I fall. My Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram glorify me (who is worthy of no glory) and NOT my God who deserves ALL the glory. It has become about what the audience I am portraying myself to wants to see and not about whether or not it is glorifying to God.
For the reasons listed above, I am choosing to pursue a new season in my life, one that does not involve being glued to my phone, or worried about what I'm going to Tweet next. This is a season of cleansing and changing what I am doing in my own life so that I can rid myself of distractions, pursue a much closer relationship with my Savior, and actually LIVE my life, not view it through a phone screen.
I'm not going to lie, I am REALLY not looking forward to giving up my social media. I stay in contact with friends that way. (Sort of). It provides a good distraction when I might actually *gasp* have to WAIT for something. And let's be real, IT'S FUN. But, my life is not about me, it's not about the number of followers, likes, or retweets. My life purpose is to glorify and pursue the God who loves me and pursues me even with my flaws. And, frankly, social media is holding me back from that. So, here goes nothing . . .
Til Next Time,
CrazyGirl
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