Friday; January 17


          Is social media a good thing or a bad thing?  I guess it depends who you ask – or many even more confusing – it may depend on when you ask someone.  Most of us have a love/hate relationship with social media ... we love to bash it as being the bane of modern existence, but we would hate to have to live without in our own lives.  Maybe the answer is that if we could keep an unfettered access to our accounts (while limiting what others post) life would be good.
          The issue isn’t would we be better off without social media – the question is what are we going to do with it now that it is so firmly embedded in our culture?  Folks, we can fuss and complain all we want about it, but social media isn’t going away anytime soon! 
          So, how do we make the most out of this modern staple?  Here are a few suggestions:
1.  Know our own personal capacity.  When we become overwhelmed with stuff, shut it down.  Liming screen time isn’t just for children, it is good for all of us.
2.  Find a way to use the technology for good.  Whether in what we read or post, make the subject matter as positive as possible.  Social media is like any tool – it is amoral.  We are the ones who assign its value to our lives.
3.  Find a balance of online and in-person relationships.  Sometimes the best thing we can do is to go off the grid onto someone’s front porch.  Humans beings need human contact – not only through an electronic device, but also by locking eyes and touching hands.
          Let’s make the most of the blessings we have been given ... even if they sometimes might come across as a curse.
Think About It!

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