Social Media has become an addiction for so many. We become consumed with the number of likes, the number of retweets and the number of followers we have. We get excited when we get a like or a comment back from someone “famous” yet fail to call and talk to family and friends. I recently heard someone say I accept every request I get to increase my numbers. We spend more and more time on social media that we lose focus of the ones who are present and constant in our lives.
I’m just as guilty, my phone dings all day with social media items. Most of those don’t require my immediate attention however I usually check out each one. How many of those “friends’ do we actually know? How many of those “friends” do we actually talk to. We build up followers and number yet continue to lose people who truly matter to use. Will those “friends” be there when you need it? Birthday reminders on social media are nice it keeps everyone in the know. But we have become so accustomed to those we forget the actual dates ourselves. Growing up it was the phone calls that got me excited, people actually walking up and saying Happy Birthday to your face. Nowadays you will see someone and they say nothing, yet then go on social media to give you a greeting. Our interpersonal skills are decreasing at an alarming rate. I’ve talked about it before. Wherever you go there’s a device in someone’s hand. I observe people when I drive, on average it’s 1 out of every 3 cars the driver has their phone in their hands. When people visit with each other,it typically involves people sitting around with their nose to a device. Go to a restaurant and observe the lack of verbal communication. Most restaurant’s have added a device to a table that allows kids to play games, at a cost of course. But what does that do for the kids, it teaches them that every time I sit down to eat I need something to keep my occupied. I had a friend tell me he works with a 20 something that can’t go to the restroom without his phone. They asked him why do you always have to have your phone, his response well, how do you go to the bathroom without.
I watch kids when family comes to visit, it has become second nature that it’s maybe a quick hug and then a device is handed over. That has now become family time. I get frustrated watching this. This is the memory of how the kid sees their interaction with a love one, their memory is a device. The idea of a family sitting down for a meal and having a conversation without the interruption of a ding or ping is growing smaller and smaller. Growing up we ate at my grandparents every Sunday. We sat around a table, we prayed and we talked. We try to have family dinner, with the hustle and bustle of our lives it doesn’t happen every night, because of the craziness of life phones have started to creep into our dinner table.
The flip side of our society and social media now is the predator aspect. There is a lot of bad people in the world today and they prey on insecurities of our youth. We haven’t taught and really don’t know social media defense. We have built up walls for strangers in person. Don’t talk to strangers was something I was taught as a kid. Online video games, social media has taken those lessons and thrown them to the side. Our kids wants the views, likes and numbers because it means more people are “looking” at their content. Some of these kids are earning money because of their gaming skills and or posts. Those “numbers” are opening doors to unknown environments and situations. As a parent what happens when you take that device away, outrage, pouting and control. I’ve watched and talked to others who see that their kids actions change based on a game and social media app usage. When they took it away their child became happier. It’s almost like The Pied Piper, this device is pulling along so many.
I challenge you, granted at this time in life it is going to be difficult with so much going on in the world, but put the device down. Open up to conversation face-face, heck write someone a letter. When was the last time you received a hand-written note from someone. Our “numbers” may decrease but our happiness and the time spent with the “one” will increase. As a kid I can remember getting in a car and going for a ride. The question was often asked where are we going, don’t know but lets go.
Enjoy your day!
TCB