Taking a break from social media has freed up about an hour a day for more important stuff to get done in my life. Being “social media-free” is a good way to figure out the priorities for me. I am back from a 6-week break, from the social media world.
Being Free
Breaking away from obsessing about FaceBook or checking my phone for messages repeatedly has made me free. I get up and do my work or chores without interruption or bombardment of tons of minutia that social media produces. I see how much of a distraction my phone has become. Things go a lot better without that distraction for my spirit.
A large majority of people only live on the fringe or border of their lives, as they stare into blue screens. Glancing at their lives going by (on the side) as they check into their social media sites. What a waste.
Look Around
I walk through the grocery store seeing children trying to talk to a parent who is fully engaged with their phone?
Is that phone screen more important than your child?
At a restaurant, you see a couple who looks like they are on a first or second date. Both looking at their phones instead of each other.
How important is your date’s company during this meal?
I prefer communicating with another human being face-to-face whenever possible. It is the quality of friendships in life that makes my spirit soar, not the quantity of FB friends that like what I have to say. Having friends who get to actually see each other “face-to-face”, or at least want to do that (if too far apart) does make my life worth living.
I leave my phone off during dates or meetings. Friends and family that are present are more important than any text, phone call, or FaceBook post. My cell phone is simply a tool that I pay for. I choose when I want to make calls, look up info on the internet, or find directions. Since I am not a slave to my phone, I don’t have to immediately respond to it. I can return calls later on, at my own discretion.
It is amazing how many people walk around with their phones right in front of their faces 24/7. If you enter a doctor’s waiting room or an elevator. Not a single person smiles to greet you and there are no welcome nods. All are looking at their phones, ignoring everyone in the room?
Does anyone pay attention to life going on around them now? Police probably hate interviewing witnesses. Witnesses who gaze at the blue screen as they walk down the sidewalk. What do they notice?
What happened? Did you see what the driver looked like? The color was the car? How about the license number? How many people were in the car? What were they wearing? Was there a gun? Which hand was the gun in?
I don’t intend to only notice my life in the peripherals as I live distracted by social media. I have only one chance to live and I plan to be present and live this life to the best of my ability, right now.