I wonder if this will be a period of time that will be looked back on and labeled, "the period of time in which everyone was offended by everything."
I'm offended by that. (wink)
I love Facebook and instagram! I haven't jumped on the twitter band wagon yet and I'm not sure that I ever will since I already have to exercise tremendous self-control to stay off of all of the electronic devices around me. I don't need another reason to pick up my phone to "check on something," and an hour later forget why I even picked up the phone. I don't want another excuse to open my laptop, hop on the ipad (or an ipad mini), or turn on the t.v. and stream something through Playstation or the Wii.
I love keeping up with friends both old and new. I love feeling like I haven't totally lost touch with everyone that I am unable to see as often as I'd like; such as my family that live out of state.
I enjoy watching all of the ridiculous and funny videos posted on Facebook. There was a video circulating of Australians trying out American beer for example. Have you seen that one yet? Pretty funny but, seriously, I probably could have done something much more productive with those 4 minutes of my life....naaaahhh. I take that back. That was time well spent.
Social media is great. Really! It has opened so many doors for communication that we didn't have before and it networks people all over the world. It can be such a blessing.
The one aspect of social media that I am not quite as fond of is the hyper sensitivity and offense that everyone takes over everything now. Or maybe it is the fact that everyone has such a strong opinion about everything and in the process of having these strong opinions on social media we forget to treat each other with respect. We forget to be loving. We forget to be empathetic. We forget to be forgiving. We forget to be patient. We forget that those tiny little squares of a face next to a name on Facebook or instagram are a real person, with a real soul and with real feelings.
Or more honestly, perhaps we really don't care?
I don't like when Facebook and other social media outlets become a war zone of words and hatred.
Yuckity-yuck-yuck.
I also don't like when people blast the world with their strong opinions and then belittle everyone who doesn't share in their opinion. Can we agree to disagree sometimes? Can we not just respect that we are not always going to see eye to eye on everything?
Let me give one large example which requires me to bring up the very touchy subject of gay marriage...can't believe I am going here...but, just for a tiny second, simply to prove a point I shall boldly go where...well, anyways.
Honestly, I was overwhelmed, heartbroken and even angered by all that I read on Facebook the week that gay marriage was approved for all of the states. I never posted anything opposing or supporting the news one way or another but, I did read a great deal. A quarter of the folks that I'm friends with were viciously attacking gays and gay rights community and the victory that they were celebrating and another quarter of the folks I am friends with were viciously attacking Christians and the community who are not in support of the gay marriage victory. It was hostile. It was ugly. It was hurtful and down right brutal. Am I right?
Another quarter were actually quite civil about the whole thing...and to those of you on either side who were civil. I APPLAUD YOU. It takes self-control, patience, kindness, understanding and love to be respectful in the midst of a hot issue but, you all prove that it is in fact possible!
Yes, we can love each other and not always agree. We really can..trust me!
I love my daughter to pieces and yet we disagree with each other a dozen times a day. It's absolutely exhausting but, it CAN BE DONE. :)
I think opinions are great! God made us to think creatively and independently but, he didn't create us to control or manipulate others to think exactly like we do. He didn't create us to attack and condemn each other. He didn't create us to hate.
When we feel hatred or disgust towards another human being (and I'm not even talking about a murderer or rapist or someone like that...maybe just someone who doesn't cover their mouth when they cough, GASP and you de-friend them on facebook.)...we need to realize that we are in fact part of the big problem that our world has today.
God created us to love one another. He created us to think less about ourselves and our feelings and our emotions and more about the needs and hearts of others.
And if you do not believe in God I can understand that you might have your own moral code but, I'm guessing that you still want to be loved, do you not? I'm betting that you still want others to treat you with respect am I right?
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you is a pretty widely accepted philosophy.
All of this is not to say that engaging in healthy debate is wrong or inappropriate. Not at all! Debate can be very productive and educational for listeners. I love listening to and participating in a good debate on Facebook! I love hearing what y'all have to say and what y'all think about things and you all know that I too share my heart and thoughts on subjects as well. I'm right there with yah!
I would say that it is a fine line and more often than not, even a healthy debate turns into something completely corrupt and hostile before it has concluded. Not always of course...but, often.
We don't need to call each other names do we?
Kids would get put in a really long time out for the kind of stuff that most grown ups participate in online. Maybe we grown ups need to remember to take a time out when we are feeling frustrated or too hot-tempered to control our words. Just walk away from the keys. Just step away from the hot topic post that is making your eye twitch. Step away from it all and cool off and get some fresh perspective before responding in anger. Think before you speak.
Maybe consider asking God to give you a loving heart for even the most difficult people in your life. Trust me, I can attest that this is not easy territory to walk in. #dailystruggle
I saw a handful of people who shared that they were taking a break from Facebook because it was too painful to read all that was being posted.
Good for you. I took a little break too. I prayed. I cooled off and then when I wasn't overwhelmed by it all I returned...though it only took like 5 seconds to feel that heat rise when I got back into social media. lol I'm guilty too of course.
Anyways, I couldn't help but, blog about this today. It was one of those posts that has been itching on my finger tips for SO LONG. I know that this post isn't going to change anything...okay well, that was a bit pessimistic but, what I mean is that very few people read my blog.
Sometimes I write simply because I publish my blog and I save these posts for my kids.
I hope that my kids will know the kind of grown up that I try to be. I hope that my kids will not only read my words someday but, be able to say that I tried my best to be a loving example in action and truth. I hope that they can someday say that I taught them how to treat others both those that we agree with and those that we disagree with. I will surely fail at times and some of you will witness my failings but, I will seek forgiveness and try again. I want to be a kinder and more loving person today than I was yesterday and tomorrow I hope that I can be a kinder and more loving person than I was today.
I love you all. I really do....each and every opinionated one of you:) hehe
And now that I have poured these jumbled thoughts onto a page, I am going to close this laptop and take a little break and visit a friend.
Adios.
you read my mind....i've felt the same over the past month or so on Facebook (i only use fb and instagram also). it makes me sad. regardless of our political or religious beliefs, why can we not respect and love everyone. why does everything offend everyone? no one can have their own thoughts because it MIGHT offend someone else. its exhausting. the world needs grace, both for ourselves and for each other. hopefully we can raise our babies to love others no matter what and have good, kind hearts in the midst of the craziness.
ReplyDeleteYou know what they say about opinions? They are like the holes on our bums…everyone has one and they all stink. ;-)
ReplyDeleteLove love love this post and I couldn't agree more!!
ReplyDelete