For a
while I've been contemplating taking a sabbatical from social media. I've
expressed several of the concerns I have with our excessive use of these apps,
and lately, my heart has been heavy with comparison, which is something that I
do not want to get sucked in to. It's easy to do though when everyone is
pouring so much out for his or her 600 plus closest friends to see.
A
few months back, I sat in a room where I was technically required to be active
on social media and it killed me to watch how the event unfolded. For starters,
I don't like to be overly active on these sites. I share when I feel compelled
to share, but I don't post every thought, photo, and article I come across...maybe because
I do this instead. While at this work event, I watched coworkers of mine all face down on
their devices tweeting, instagramming, and checking Facebook while the rest of
the congregation mingled and spoke to one another about life and work and
actually shared with one another. That was a pivotal moment for me when I
realized that maybe I didn't belong at said event.
In May,
I read a blog entry from one of my favorite bloggers. She expressed that our
use of social media is becoming an addiction. We check it at red lights, pull
it out when someone leaves the table, and worse, can't get off of it when we're
face-to-face with real friends. I don't know about you, but I don't want that
to be how my generation is defined. I want us to be remembered for greater
things. I want us to be invested in one another, share with those closest with
us, have time to pursue other interests, and be consumed with more important
causes.
So
this is my goal for the month of September…to take a sabbatical from social
media. Let's call it the September social media sabbatical. I challenge you to
join me if you feel overly consumed with the devices and also unsure why you
find yourself turning to Facebook more than calling up a friend. I challenge
you to join me on this if you'd rather read a book or take a class than to read
about the things others are doing. These are all things I plan to do. I plan to
pursue my friends better, read more books, write, be more active in my personal
relationship with Christ, and pick-up/finish some stuff that I've been putting
off.
Statistics say that Americans age 18-34
spend 3.8 hours a day on social media. Think about what you could do with that
time.
