This time of year, most Christian based groups celebrate the season of Lent. I did not really put much thought into what I would give up, until the very last moment. What is something in my life that needs to be abstained from, that will be a challenge and grow my character? Sadly, the answer was Facebook. I will hold my hand up in absolute shame at how much of a grip it has taken over my life. It has become increasingly difficult to hold my tongue and stop thinking about what I would see after logging out. Daily interactions entwined with articles, comments, and photos other people had posted. Something designed to increase our social activity began to dull my empathy buttons. The element of surprise has disappeared from our friendships. Other obligations in my life have started to demand my attention, those long awaited fruits of labor. Not with out irony, the projects emphasize the importance of face to face contact, and how our society has increasingly found ways to reduce it.
As humans, we are designed to work in seasons. People come and go in our life as we grow and change. Different people are associated with various events. I wonder how healthy it is to have access to all of those people at one time, if at all. I have seen examples of this with people who attended high school together. They band back into the cliques of yesterday as if nothing has changed. Would they be in our lives with out Facebook? Do not get me wrong, some good can come out of these social medias. Soldiers that are stationed overseas can see their children almost daily, making the trip a little less lonely. Our grandparents were forced to wait weeks and sometimes months for a hand written letter. That is just one example. However, everything in moderation is key and I was down right gluttonous!
I am most curious to see what the end result of this abstinence will be. I have never had the text feature added to my phone, which in itself drives people crazy, we will see how bothered some will be by what it takes to contact me. The truth is, it requires a phone call, that's it. A deliberate action of contact. A quote I read once said: "The telephone is the ultimate symbol of man's inability to communicate". How too will I reach out to others? I think I will shop for some post cards today!
