The Pros & Cons of Social Media

Could you go one week without looking at any form of social media?

It's easy to become nostalgic when thinking about the "good ole days". I always joke that I missed my rightful generation by a century. I loved reading The Little House on the Prairie series growing up. I still enjoy reading books and watching movies from that era. The world seemed to make more sense in many ways.


You don't have to think that far back, though, to recall a more simple time. My great granny, Verna Mae, lived up into her nineties. She went to be with the Lord a few years back, but she left many stories behind. She had a way with words, and she liked to talk about the ways of the mountain people. She did an excellent job at describing life as she knew it. A simple life. 

 

Pictured above is  Kentucky author, Verna Mae Slone, who devoted her pen to shattering  many of the myths about Appalachian Culture. 

   

I, myself, am a '90s kid. Don't get me wrong, I know that my childhood was a lot more fast paced than my granny's. However, I didn't grow up with touchscreen gadgets and flat screen T.Vs. During my childhood, they had just began to explore the idea of "cordless". So, I didn't grow up thinking that phones came automatically glued to the palms of the adults in my life.

Kiddos can now work technology better than most of their elders. The biggest number of children today, especially in the US, will not know what a childhood is like that doesn't include technology and the internet being at the tips of their fingers.

Which I am not jumping to say is a "bad" thing.

When you think about the education and medical fields, in particular, there is no doubt that the internet opened up doors for amazing opportunity and benefits that would have otherwise not been possible.  I think in those cases the good definitely outweighs the bad.

But what about social media?

I feel like social media is its own can of worms entirely. And I'm not so sure that the good is heavier.

The Pros   

• outreaching to others, spreading the gospel, witnessing, taking and giving prayer requests
• keeping in touch and sharing special moments with relatives and friends
• communicating quickly and easily with an individual or a large group of people
• storing photos in one easy accessible place 
• entertainment

The Cons

• major time consumer; easily addictive; creates a habitual routine 
• consumes one's attention & hinders you from being in the moment with real time people
• takes away privacy 
• creates an enticing environment for cyber bullying & gossiping
• promotes comparing and coveting 
• takes away face to face conversation and people skills

I have to admit that it can be somewhat annoying hearing the older generation's continuous complaints about our use of social media and hand held devices. We catch a lot of slack for looking down at our gadgets. And should we put them down and look across at the person next to us more often? Probably, definitely, maybe.

My mom was voicing her frustration to me one day. She was annoyed by the fact that she was in a room full of people all looking down at a device, instead of making conversation. (She hasn't jumped onto the bandwagon quite yet.) I told her that I understood her frustration, but technology wasn't going anywhere. It's a new era. Like it or not, it's here.

It does no one any good to miss how things use to be. Find the good in what we have now. While we should focus on the positives that are now available, it is also wise to take time to consider and meditate on the negative as well. Don't ignore it. Evaluate your own personal use.

I asked myself:

How much time am I spending plugged into cyberspace?
How do I feel while I'm checking my feed? Empty, angry, jealous, lonely?  Judgmental, cynical, arrogant?
Am I ignoring people that are with me in real time?
Would I let my online "friends" into my home?
Would I let them speak in my home the comments that they post online?
Do I say hurtful things?
Do I actively partake in gossip/spreading rumors by what I say?
Do I passively partake in gossip/spreading rumors by reading posts of that manner?

It's difficult to take a hard look. Attempt to be objective and honest. I, myself, did not like the answer to many of those questions. I made a resolution to limit my time on social media. Let me tell you, it isn't easy. That fact alone, gave me all the more determination. I don't want something that has the potential to be so evil have so much control and power over my life. And if you don't think you could go without it, then it does have control and power over you.

Just some food for thought.