I get in these moods sometimes where nothing anyone does on social media is appealing.
Like, I'm scrolling through insta and I'm all:
Your filter is annoying.
Another selfie, really?
Ugh. I don't want to see your food.
The last EIGHTY FIVE BILLION pictures of your kids were enough.
Oh, I'm glad you went to the gym for two hours today. I took care of two kids and went to school.
Insta is for pictures, not rants. Write a blog.
So then, I get annoyed, and do the whole double click the home button on your iphone thing to switch over to facebook. I start scrolling.
And again, it goes like this:
I don't care how you feel.
I don't care how you feel.
Ew. I don't want to see you kissing.
*Another article gone viral* *click* *doesn't load* *keep scrolling*
I don't care.
I don't care.
Like. Comment.
Like.
Ew.
I don't care.
*so and so changed their profile picture....AGAIN.*
Again, I get annoyed and want to switch, but that's about all I've got in the way of social media attraction. I'm and insta/facebook kinda gal. So when this need to find more "information" arises, and I have none, it sucks. Then I'm an idiot enough to think that maybe if I get on pinterest, someone will have come up with a new leg circuit to try, as if I even do the other 82 I have pinned to my private fitness board, to go with all the healthy vegan muffins I have pinned. Yeah. Exactly. Then I switch back to insta, and feel stupid for starting the cycle over.
Like. I feel reallllllly lousy.
Am I really that pathetic? Apparently so.
Now, be honest with me. Do you have these same reactions? Probably. Maybe? No? (if that's the case, lets talk, cause social media should bug you.)
Social media is annoying as all get out, and honestly I wonder sometimes why I participate in it. Part of it is to stay up to date, because it's not going anywhere so I might as well know how to use it..
But what about the fact that it makes me feel like yuck, gives me anxiety if someone else is stressing, pisses me off because I care about what other people do with their lives...etc? Why in the heck am I still on it?
I don't know, honestly. I really don't. I want to go back to the days of getting coffee and telling stories - not gossiping - telling real stories. Sharing the pack of pictures you just got developed with your friend. Laughing at each other instead of screens.
My psych professor covered social media in class last week. There were a lot of things to be said about it. Social media is not only ruining our connection with people, it's ruining our compassion.
Example? Sure.
There's this one person on my facebook - and we all have at least one - who is annoying. The way they write their posts, the way they feel like they know everything about everything, the way they feel the need to advertise how great their life is, blah blah blah. And every.single.time. I see this person's posts, I just wish I could punch them.
But that's not human nature. Because in real life - yes - REAL life, we would learn to just listen politely to their stupid stories in person at church on Sunday, we would let them walk away annoyed, but really, it wouldn't be so annoying because it's not that big of a deal to tell four people the same stupid story.
In addition, in that moment in which you're listening, there are no distractions of other people's accomplishments, days, meals...there is nothing to compare it with, and you might be more inclined to have some compassion and less judgement; because it's no longer a contest.
So, with that: I am getting rid of Facebook on my phone. Pinterest can stay, but twitter, which I never use, is also going. I don't need internet 24/7. I don't need to know how so and so feels. I live in a small town, word travels fast...if it's that important, someone will tell me. Instagram is also staying, but it's getting moved to a folder where I'll forget where I put it, so I'll check it less.
I don't care about your day unless we are having a face to face conversation.
So lets get real and get with it: I dare you to talk to five people today without touching your phone, and have a conversation that lasts more than 2 minutes each time.
Do it. I promise, it feels real, real good.
