So, I am here at the laundromat doing laundry. I scanned FaceBook (or as some of my friends are calling it "Fascist Book," I scanned Instagram, haven't looked at Twitter or TikTok yet, but I will eventually. But, I am posting because I haven't done so in quite some time and because of a discussion I had when I was volunteering at the Alternative Gift Market on Novrmbet 12th.
As I sat at my table sharing with people who walked by about the charity that the craft group had chosen to support, I struck up a conversation with the two teen seniors on my right. I asked about what their plans were for their future and other small talk points. But then I asked, "what social media platform do you find you spend the most time on?" I discovered a lot in the answers they gave. They didn't really mention Face Book at all, they didn't like Twitter for the same reason Iam questioning its usefulness - namely the new "owner!" And they find they spend a majority of their time on TikTok.
I will admit that I do enjoy my TikTok account. I don't have that many videos up, but I do have some dueted videos that I think are important and I am proud of. By the way, my TikTok handle is @davidelarson if you want to go hunting for me.
And while I am passing this media connection, here are a few more:
YOUTUBE: @TYEDYEGYE1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tyedyegye
Instagram: delarson67217
Twitter deleting it as of the posting of this BLOG
Tribel: http://tribel.app.link/okwPIHYCIqb.
(David Larson)
So, these are all connections to various social media, but the question I have is, "Are we really social when we are on these platforms?" What I mean by this is, are we acting social and civil when we post and when we comment? I try, but I will confess that I fail at times. I am deleting Twitter for various reasons, but one reason is clear. With a certain ex-president coming back (because the "new" owner wants him back) there will be more of his ranting and raving and more of his ilk ranging and raving. This leads to those of opposing views ranting and raving and I know for myself, that isn't healthy (mental health wise!) I also struggle with that of Facebook, both because I have certain views that I feel are moral battlefields, and I have certain friends that tend toward the contrary of those views. I don't want to offend them and I don't want to give them a chance to offend me.
This doesn't mean that I don't debate anything, but I have learned, at least somewhat, that everyone should pick which battles they are going to fight in their life, and which battles they will turn their back on and walk away.
So, all of this leads me to ask a few other questions for my readers (and myself).
- What boundaries have you set for yourselves in dealing with social media?
- What are your battlefields?
- How successful are you in maintaining your boundaries?
- What are the cues that help you realize you have either crossed those boundaries or you need to move or strengthen those boundaries?
- Finally, what topics are your hardened mores? (I.E. abortion, religion, politics, love, compassion, etc)
There are many more questions one can ask and struggle with concerning this topic. So one final bonus question is, what would you ask of me, if you were in my shoes? With that, I will end this long overdue BLOG POST. Be blessed and take care!
- David E Larson
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