Social media…whew boy…how did we ever live without it?? Well, honestly, I long for those days again…the days before “posts, likes, follows, tweets, snaps, unfriended, blocks” and so on. I’ve raised one kid and raising two more in a world I honestly have no background knowledge in…we’ve learned this social media thing together and half the time they’re teaching me stuff about it. While I find it to be a great way to keep up with friends, family and to stay connected to people, events and so much more…I also see something that is destroying the next generations ability to communicate face to face in an effective manner. Not only that, but they are affected by having “connections” at their fingertips 24/7 that there’s never any time to “disconnect” from their friends, peers, school, activities and so on. This instant communication is often resulting in negative affects on social interaction, relationships, focus, time management and so much more.

Remember the good old days of talking on the phone! I can remember how excited we were when my parents got the extra long chord on the phone because then we could stretch it from the kitchen into the living room where we could lay in a chair and have a semi-private conversation with friends and boyfriends. Oh and the first cordless phone our parents brought home…you would’ve thought we’d hit the lottery. I mean we could actually talk on the phone in our rooms!!! SCORE!! All of those luxuries, but still one phone line, time limits on how long we could talk and sharing with the whole family…now families fight over sharing DATA.  Let’s not forget the good old busy signal before the days of call waiting.  I mean really…we actually had to keep calling someone back to wait for that BAA BAA BAA BAA BAA to go away and hear the phone ring on the other end.  No instant connections back then…which meant a whole lot of time to disconnect.  I am sure lots of relationships were saved and words unsaid because we often had time to calm down or really think about how to handle a situation.

Texting…what did we do before we could text! I ain’t gonna lie folks…I am SO GLAD texting was invented, however it’s ruined emotion and tone in a conversation.  I don’t care how many emojis you put they just don’t take the place of a good face to face conversation or even face to face argument. Texting also ruined the art of letter writing and notes!! I hate that my kids won’t ever get those butterflies when they open up their locker and see the cute folded note from their crush and the anticipation of scurrying to class only to hide behind a text book to read it!! Oh those were the days. And letters…my oldest had to write letters to her now fiancé when he was in basic training last year. She got to experience mailing a letter and waiting for one in return. Those days when she opened the mailbox and saw that envelope with her name on it brought her a joy she will never forget.  Now I bet 95% of conversations…meaningful ones and non-meaningful ones…are held through text.

I know it seems as though I am bashing these inventions of social media, cell phones on every person, and texting.  I am really not because if I was I’d be a hypocrite.  I use all of them on a daily basis and at this point sometimes don’t know how I survived without them.  However, I just think we can have too much of a good thing…right?  I think it’s important to remember our roots.  It’s important to remember the value of communication…face to face…voice to voice…communication.  It’s important to “unplug” often.

And as far as social media goes…well we love to make sure our posts are Instagram and  Facebook worthy right?  What about the lives we are living on a daily basis?  Shouldn’t we make sure they are Instagram and Facebook worthy?  Just some food for thought on this random Monday in December…