Reflections on a Social Media Fast 1

At the end of September my wife and I took a break from social media.  We had a lot of reasons (which I'll talk about a little over the next few posts), but more than anything we just needed a detox.  I was beginning more and more to find this post from Urban Dictionary far too true in my own life.

Social Media can be best described as:

Facebook - I like doughnutsTwitter - I'm eating #doughnutsInstagram - Here is a Polaroid-esce photo of doughnutsFoursquare - This is where I eat doughnutsYouTube - Here I am eating doughnutsMyspace - Meet the Up-and-coming band, 'doughnuts'Linkedin - My skills include doughnut eatingPinterest - Here is a recipe for doughnuts

We plugged back in a couple days ago and I thought I'd share a little bit about what I noticed as I took an intentional break from the cultural phenomena known as Social Media.

First Thought: Social Media is a Tool not a Crutch

I don't think social media is bad or evil or even a giant waste of time (on its own).  I think it's a tool to be used.  Any tool that's overused or improperly utilized can cause problems. Those tools can even destroy.  During my break I noticed how I had stopped using social media as a tool and started using it as a crutch for social interaction.  Crutches are great tools when a lower extremity is broken or hurt, but when nothing is broken and you're using one... then there is a problem.  I am blessed to have a lot of opportunity for social interaction.  I don't need social media to be the only place where it's happening or even one of the main places where it's happening.