Yesterday and today I have corresponded with a friend to whom I haven't talked in several years. We weren't on bad terms, just geographically very far apart.
In my email, I confessed to him that Facebook and other similar websites (blogs?) are "the crack-cocaine of a self-important generation, and I'm an addict."
The same day, I had lunch with a friend who works nearby, who I had not seen in several months.
In both cases, we were able to catch up over the course of a few paragraphs or a few minutes of conversation, leading me to believe that my earlier statement was correct: personal websites allow everyday people like me to turn the smallest things into a big deal and broadcast the self-important details of our lives to the world. The reality is that over the last several years, I probably have 3-4 good paragraphs of important information, including my marriage, the approaching birth of our son, working for a good company, and being involved in a great church.
I can't decide if it's a blessing or a curse that God allows us to enjoy the trivial things so much. At the very least, reflecting on all of this gives me pause to collect my thoughts and resolve to spend my time focusing on the important things.
1 comment:
It’s a topic to take seriously. (And yes, you’re being a copycat again.)
Self-importance is one facet to consider. Another thing to consider is simply whether or not these things are the best uses of our time. It’s sometimes helpful to me to be mindful that time is something I can’t get back. Am I recognizing that I have alternatives for spending my time? Among the alternatives, is this what I would actively choose?
The media, themselves, are not bad. Sharing our lives with each other is not bad. The question is whether or not we’re making the most of our time.
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