There’s a lot of tasty controversies we can talk about online.
And you know I have my opinions.
While I occasionally chime in, I’d like to offer an alternative. Let’s ALSO make it a point to tell our “boots on the ground” stories about what is happening in our attempts to live the missional life.
Here’s our Facebook Page. I hope you’ll join in and invite your friends.
I gave up Facebook for Lent. Many people ask how I could not be on Facebook since I’m posting there almost every day. Two reasons:
1) My blog, www.chrismorton.info, autoposts to Twitter and Facebook.
2) I’ve been able to use the time this has freed up to be more creative, and write more, thereby producing more of said autoposts.
Besides being more creative, spending less time on Facebook has helped with the sense of depression I often experience. I’m not sure if there’s any scientific studies to back this up, but anecdotally, I can think of three ways social networking darkens my days.
First, there is the constant reminders of relationships you don’t have. There’s the old friends you’ve lost touch with and the girls that got away. They are constant reminders of brighter days and deep friendships that are now distant memories. It makes me fantasize of what life would have been like if I hadn’t moved, had been bold enough to ask someone out or had got the job I wanted.
Second, there is a sense of social isolation. Reading one’s Newsfeed is much like being in a room full of people, and having no one who will talk to you. It seems like everyone else is so happy and engaged. It seems like you are invisible to them.
Thirdly it’s just a waste of time. Spending hours reading the status updates of people I barely know or looking at pictures of parties I didn’t go to keeps me from eating with friends, writing in my journal, working on my homework or making myself or my world a better place.
This Lenten break from Facebook has been really good thing. I’m trying to figure out how I’ll limit my usage after Resurrection 
Day. Social media is a tool, but I’ve been using it like a drug. Lent has helped me see that this is a dangerous addiction.
Recently after looking through someone’s Facebook pictures, a friend commented that “you can tell there’s more to this person than just parties.”
He was referring to the infamous Facebook beer pictures. Something about the nature of social networking leads people to take pictures of themselves holding beer bottles grinning hideously and almost falling over. This person did have a lot of pictures, but they portrayed family and friends having adventures, making music and going on trips. You couldn’t help but look at them and assume this person has a meaningful life.
We’d like to say “oh, that’s just Facebook.” But the reality is, our online doppelgangers capture our public selves. If you can’t tell by one’s profile what is important to them, then maybe it’s not that important.
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