I have a love-hate relationship with Facebook. With all of social media, for that matter.
On the one hand, I enjoy the regular interaction with friends and family. I’m much more able to keep up with their day-to-day lives than ever before. In addition, I enjoy developing new friendships, connections that likely wouldn’t have been made if not for the Internet.
Besides, y’all post some crazy funny content. Thanks for the laughs.
Still, there’s a dark and sinister side to social media. Especially when we make it into something it was never supposed to be.
That what my friends and I are talking about today, including the one question many of us wrestle with after hanging out in the social media cafeteria.
It can be brutal out there, baby.
Listen in, see what you think. Then tell me this:
Has social media brought more harm or good? How do you keep it in its proper context?
[callout]This is a short selection of an in-depth conversation Michele shared with a circle of close friends March 7, 2015. For background on the series, you can read about it here. If you’d like to watch the interview in its entirety (it’s just over 55 minutes), please click here for instant access.[/callout]
I woke up this morning with the casual comment made to me by my neurosurgeon last February ringing in my ears. “I just gave you ten more years.” Only ten more, I thought? What does he mean by that? I thought I would never have to worry about my brain tumor again! I started back-pedaling immediately, telling myself that he meant to encourage me, that only God knows how and when He will take me home, etc. etc. The second thought I had was, “I wish I could call my best friend right now.” It was too early, but I needed my woman friend. I have really been impressed about how badly women need each other right now and we need each other to be authentic, like you are in your book, “Undone.” I spent years in the church hiding what I was really going through because “By His stripes we WERE healed was thrown at me from all sides. My desire now is for women to come together and support each other like they did during a time of war. Because we are in a war on all sides! Let’s recognize that and be real….even on social media. Let’s take each other further than the front porch.
You make an interesting point … about connecting like women did in times of war. It was life-saving for them. And it’s life-saving for us. Thanks for the keen insight, Linda. As always.
I’m with you on the love/hate relationship with social media. It has definitely changed the way we communicate. We start and end relationships on Facebook. We post memories and share with people who are far away so they can keep up with our life. I have met many people on social media that I have been able to meet face to face. I smiled when you introduced me to the SCORRE team as your Facebook friend. I like being able to “talk” to classmates from grade school who would have never found me again otherwise. My mom can see pictures of her grandkids whom she hasn’t visited in two years. However… it has become a cruel platform for flinging dirt at one another for political/religious/personal beliefs. It makes it easy to throw rocks at others and hide behind the anonymity. It pressures us to tidy up our life before showcasing it to the world. As women, we want to one-up each other, comparing birthday parties, Christmas presents and made-from-scratch recipes. Social media has also done a wealth of good, moving us to action supporting families who need prayers, donations or encouragement. I say let’s stay with the good that social media has brought and celebrate together that undone is beautiful.
Well said, Lily. Well said. 🙂
Michelle, I thoroughly enjoy your writing because I always feel like you allow your readers to go beyond the front porch and straight into the center of what you are currently dealing with. Whoo – that was a long sentence but I so mean it. Thank you cyber friend for your brutal honesty in a world that seemingly becomes more shallow everyday. I appreciate your courage, strength, and voice. Your life compels me to live unashamedly, without a need to put on false pretense. Your story helps me to embrace my undone life. Be blessed and know that I am praying for you. – Kia