The problem with SOCIAL MEDIA and ME

I'm thinking about stepping back a lot more from this whole Social Media thing.  I was visiting with a group of 4 young moms who were talking about cutting it out all together.  I have noticed all 4 are on it again. SJ does home parties, and this is the biggest invitation/advertising/teaser method that the company uses.  She was off completely for awhile before this.  KB actually unactivated her account.  Now she is back.  JW and CN never gave it up.  They share a lot of family interaction by this method.  Sometimes when you live away, that keeps you in touch.

The pre-election time was kind of the beginning of my prickly feeling.  Things were just nasty.  And they continue to be politically nasty.  I have unfollowed some, and unfriended some other.  And then you get into the part, where email went for awhile, where there is just an excessive amount of sharing. Send me every joke that made you laugh today, and funny pictures and video links and before I know it, I am watching too much stuff.  I become a victim of email pollution.

 Perhaps this is where I like PINTEREST and use that probably too much, also.  I have secret boards.  Ideas to craft.  Away from the eyes of others.  I'm not looking to make myself look good.  I'm looking for something totally useful, and if I share that with others, it's not to say "Hey look how awesome I am."  It's more if I can do it, maybe you can do it... and get that saw in a place that is more handy...or put all that wine in one place...yes, it is pretty crooked.  But no wine has fallen off it yet!  And I've made other things from here.  And I'm always looking to get ideas...more ideas that I will ever be able to do, but it's good to have options.

Part of my point, is, in the right mood, seeing everyone else's perfect life is a little hard to take.  I've read a ton of blog posts over the years, and the ones that I have kept reading, are the ones that are honest - the good and the bad.  The ones that are all rosy are the ones that make your own not-perfect life a little harder to bear.

So here is what I did last week, after discussing this in a bible study group.  I got out my smart phone and removed the facebook app from the front page to another page, then I actually tucked it inside of something else, so in passing, I don't even see it.  I shut off notifications, so it doesn't call out to me to look.  I also have a group or 2 that sends a ton of notifications and I turned them off.  Halfway there.  Then I started on my Kindle that night, and brought up the friends list.  Who do I really not talk with if they are in the same room, not that I'm snobby, just we don't gravitate toward the same topics...and also, who is posting things that make me feel prickly.  I understand it is hot.  And I'm in a different place in my life that some of these people.  But who is posting things that make me feel like I'm failing at life.  And who is sharing more than I need to see.  I went through the list and didn't see the option of unfollowing.  So I made some choices here to unfriend them.  I don't HATE them, or wish them ill.  I'm just uncluttering my brain and sometimes, my heart.  There were people and names on there I couldn't remember ever hearing anything from in years.  And then there were some I waffled on.  I poked around a bit and found the place to unfollow.  We are still friends and whatever that is good for, if I have committees and messages to a group, those people are still available that way.

  

                                

I've already found this small gesture is an improvement in my attitude.  I'm still on Facebook.  I even post on Instagram, but not many followers there to clutter my thoughts.  Each has their purpose.  I just needed a break.  So if one or 2 people are reading this, thank you.  I'm giving it to your straight.  I'm doing a study called Lord, Change My Attitude, Before It's Too Late by James MacDonald and 2 weeks in, it's already making an impression.

Thanks for listening.  Feel free to comment...or unfollow...whatever is best for you.