Is Social Media Making Your Life Small?

I can remember exactly 1 thing from Professor Aubaugh’s English class at NCU. Which is a real big bummer  because gramar grammer grammar.

In that small windowless classroom, we read a brief excerpt from, “Amusing Ourselves to Death.” The gist was this: instead of using entertainment for its created purpose, entertainment, as a society we’re now using it as a means of escaping from our lives.

Such a nice light thought for a 19-yr-old to wrap her head around at 7:45am.

Here’s the most interesting part: The book (which I’m not endorsing because I haven’t read it) was written in 1985! You know, before the internet and binge watching, and carrying devices with all the world’s knowledge and connections in the palm of your hand.

Now, before you conclude this post is hating on entertainment and social media, let me clear that up. Untrue.

I’m a big fan.  It’s the way I connect with most of you after all! 🙂

And like you, I love getting glimpses of friends days on Instagram Stories.

I enjoy getting nuggets of wisdom on Twitter from leaders I admire.

And SERIOUSLY how did I keep track of anything before Pinterest? I love me some boards.

But I also know if I’m not careful, I’ll, say, allow some British woman’s deltoid muscle strong arm (pun intended) me into thinking I should definitely re-vamp my workouts.

And also join the “Long Sleeves for Life,” club.

 That’s not the abundant life friend.

\Social Media can be awesome and Social Media can be a double-edged sword. It’s way too easy to get caught up in the lives of people we don’t even know and neglect the ones sitting at our table, isn’t it?

And on that same note, when’s the last time you woke up feeling great about yourself, only to see someone’s post from Sweden who has an amazing kitchen or master bathroom or significant other or calf muscle and now you feel shame about your life.  Thanks a lot girl from Sweden.

However, before we go hatin’ on the Swede’s, think about what were actually doing….comparing what we do know about our lives to the 10,000 things we don’t know about said Swede.

I’m guilty of it.

So, if you’re a normal human like me and you enjoy Social Media but recognize the need for a few healthy boundaries lest it makes you feel small, you’ve come to the right place.

This isn’t about rules. It’s about guarding our hearts and living the life we actually want instead of scrolling through and envying the lives of everyone else.  It’s about checks and balances to stay within the boundaries of the full, well-rounded meaningful lives we’re craving.

Today, let’s not create more resolutions we’ll brake faster than a pledge to swear off chocolate. Crazy. Instead, I thought we could pose a couple questions to keep at the forefront of our minds the next time we find ourselves embarking on the mindless scroll.

Questions to guard our heart:

1. Am I Connecting or Isolating?

Social Media can be a easy way to stay in contact with the masses. But you also need actual people you look at in the eye and do life with.  It’s far too easy to use our phones as medicators against loneliness. Say “yes” to getting together with them and when you do, maybe tuck your phone in your pocket. I mean, EXCEPT when you Instagram story the beautiful plate of food your sharing. Because we’re realistic.

2. Am I Cheering & Championing or Competing?

It’s awesome when our friends embark on new adventures and we can share, like, and cheer them on.  It’s awful when our friends new adventure causes us to feel bad about our own. Guard your heart.

3. Is this Fueling or is this Draining?

Is what you’re reading filling you up or dragging you down?

4. Do I feel Inspired or do I feel Jealous?

See Number 2 🙂 Comparison can be a serious detriment. More on that here.

5. Is this making me feel Better or Worse?

This applies to Social Media. And also WebMD. Beware of “over-googling” yo’self. We wrote a whole post on how to be healthy with your Smart Phone, check it out here.

6. Am I growing in Confidence or Insecurity?

Confidence: Learning how to paint perfectly straight stripes in your entryway. Thanks Pinterest

Insecure: Deciding you are the only person who doesn’t know how to paint perfectly painted stripes in their entry way. #PinterestFail Solid blue it is.

7. Do I feel Empowered or do I feel Behind?

I’m one of those people who LOVES learning.  I’m endlessly curious about life. How incredible to find a new recipe, design a website and change your oil all within a few clicks? But if those searches are making you feel like like you’re losing at life because you don’t already know how to do those things and apparently 147,000 people on YouTube do, sign off.

8. Am I being Entertained or am I being Distracted?

If you can afford the time to connect on social media for a bit, go for it.  If you’re using it to distract you from what you actually should be doing, which we all do sometimes, guilty as charged, make future you have a conversation with distracted you and put your phone down.

9. Am I Enjoying this or am I seeking to be Fulfilled by it?

I recently heard Annie Downs says, “If I’m hungry, I don’t let the internet feed me.” Mic drop.

Again, it’s a heart issue only you can answer.  And also, I’m sorry for stepping on your toes 😉

Social Media can be an awesome tool if you use it right.  I’m a fan and have no plans on signing off anytime soon and I don’t think you have to either. We just have to think before we scroll and think before we post.

So let’s make a pact me and you.

Stick out your pinky and repeat after me.

“I __________, pinky swear to have Social Media enhance my life and relationships and not take away from them. And when I feel myself start to slip, I will put my phone on the charger and go outside and do something awesome.”

Hope this helps you keep on going after the meaningful life you’re craving.  Let’s not let apps make our life small, deal?

 Until next time,

Meg

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