Those darn Gen Y’ers and Millennials, right? The only thing is that I was the youngest person in the room, and I’m 40. Substituting Facebook posts for actual communication isn’t a problem with the young. The truth is that we’re all guilty.
Furthermore, we’ve noticed that people haven’t engaged with us as much as usual since Rick joined Facebook in December. “I’m busy” has become a comfortable and frequently quoted reason. To this cliché, I offer another: whatever. First, we’re as busy as anybody else, but have chosen to eliminate these words from our vocabulary because we’d rather take direct responsibility for how we choose to use our time. And second, we’d be there for you, but we aren’t going to shove ourselves down your throat if you choose to run away. It’s a big world, and there are always other people, places, and things to discover. Our purpose for being on social media is to reach out to people that aren’t in our day to day life; folks that care more about the bigger issues moving the world and less about the petty gossip. But it’s cute that you think you’re actually getting the 4-1-1 on our lives on Facebook. Really, everybody knows that Twitter is the place for the mundane day-to-day observations. Facebook is about people you know; Twitter is about people you don’t.
I was hurt by this, but time in prayer and meditation reminded me that my purpose for social media obviously differs from others. I’m online to explode into a bigger world, not implode in an inconsequential microcosm. Outreach is personal choice, and I’m not going to argue yours. So enjoy your own little world, if that’s where you prefer to be. The nature of the universe is expansion, and I intend to go with it and expand into new horizons; not to get stifled by small worlds.
Perhaps this entry is a good catalyst to consider why you’re really on social media. Is it for petty gossip, or to expand your interaction with the world?
That’s all today. Take care, and have a great rest of the week.
Bye!