Face it - social media has 110% CHANGED the way we as people connect with one another...doesn't matter if you use social media to keep up with your friends and family or for business purposes...social media has made an enormous impact on all of our lives.
Back to the modern dilemma - can you (or any of us) survive without feeding our social media addictions even for a day? And would life's pace be "better" without the Tweets, status updates, tumblr posts, etc.?
In today's world, social media has become “mandatory”, a prerequisite to function in the daily hustle and flow. We can't call it a day before checking e-mails, looking for things to retweet, checking the latest business moves and adding people to our professional network on Linkedin, "pinning" the latest and greatest on Pintrest, and (who are we kidding) stalking people's Facebook pages to see what's what and to keep up with the Jones'.
We've become - as a people - “addicted” to social media...addiction, obsession, compulsion...the verbiage doesn't matter. We Tweet at work, check Facebook hourly from our smartphones, spend hours on Pinterest checking out pics and vids. We get stoked when our friends and followers number increases, and we lament when someone ceases our social media relationship. The moment news breaks, be it a celeb going nuts or dying, an earthquake, a storm, a political fiasco, etc., we reach for our smartphone or tablet or CPU and tweet about it and start a hashtag or incorporate it into our status update. Friends or family post pics that make us laugh, or make us jealous, and we stop whatever it is we're doing to post a comment on it.
Seriously, that can't be a healthy thing!
I say put the smartphone down and step away from social media - even if it's for a day. Who cares if you miss a funny tweet, or an invite to Johnny's Happy Hour. Your friends and family will survive without your witty revelations, ruminations, and assorted lagniappe on whatever social media outlet(s) you subscribe to.
Now let's not be silly - I don't think it'd be prudent to go cold turkey on social media and quit it all together. In today's world you'd be truly disconnected. But be it a camping trip, a kid's birthday party, or a date night with that special someone, it's okay to be disconnected for that moment. Give priority to the awesome people around you. Give priority to catching yourself enjoying the moment that you are living in - reality, not virtually.
Fight the compulsion, obsession, or addiction. Spend more QT with friends and family, hit the gym, go for a walk, read a book...it'll be good for you - for all of us.
And besides, a little break from social media will help your iPad or smartphone battery last longer. ;-)
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