Less Social Media More Social Interaction

On our little journey to downsizing our lives and just living simply I think the biggest offender that inhibits living a simple life has been staring me right in the face. I believe it to be all forms of social media/ networking. I pride myself on not constantly having my nose lurking on social medias during dinner times, conversations, and just living life HOWEVER in the past few months I have realized that's not really the case. Why is it that I have to be doing two things at once? While watching a movie I check Instagram. While nobodies talking at a gathering, I check Facebook. I record myself singing in my car on snapchat and it all just seems so stupid the more I think about it.

What happened to family dinners? What happened to writing letters? There is something so much more intimate and meaningful in doing these things that people this day and age will never understand. When Kyle was deployed we had a leather bound book that we passed back and forth writing in it a few weeks each. When it was my turn to open the USPS package to see what Kyle had written me, a feeling of joy, happiness, contentment, love, just pure magic overwhelmed my body. Do people feel that way when they read a text message? A comment? Seeing his personal handwriting, some fun pictures, "I love you" straight from the heart means so much more. 

We are so caught up in getting the most likes or comments that we are sorely lacking spending time together. We are more focused on having a wifi connection than a personal connection. Be in the moment instead of focusing on what filter would look best. Make a memory for yourself not for the world to see. 

The first step for me to be more focused on social interactions was to go all out and delete at least one of the three social networks that I am so entangled in. I don't use twitter, I could never get into it. I just don't get it. I use Facebook, Instagram, and snapchat the most. The first that I just completely detached myself from was Snapchat. I think it's fun to send my friends silly faces that will only last for 10 seconds but what's the point? I'd rather have fun filled conversations in person. Although, I really enjoyed the drawing aspect to make funny pictures with the doodle pen it just made no sense. If I want to talk to someone I will text them and get together with them. Why do I need to make a story of how good my hair looks today along with the car license plate saying "GUILTY". Who cares? I mean sure, I'm hilarious when it comes to jamming out in the car to tunes but come for a ride me with me instead of a 10 second clip. Hang out with me in person then just getting a glimpse of what my life looks like.

We are in an age of pure narcism. We love to look at ourselves instead of others. I don't want to be this person. When "selfies" have become more popular than being "selfless" and people my age and younger feel more entitled to things than to work for them, I don't want to be apart of that problem which I think comes from social media. Don't get me wrong, I really do love staying connected with friends and family on facebook and I love looking at the pictures on instagram but I think it needs to be done all in moderation. I shouldn't care about the likes from strangers as much as I care about who really likes me in person. I want the days of playing outside, coming in for family dinner, watching a movie together, reading a book, relaxing, enlightening myself, and just being freed of mindless chatter. I want to be valued as the person I really am not the one I am assumed by social media. I don't want people to know me by my status' and pictures. I want them to know me by going out for a cup of coffee. Get to know me in the real world, I have a great laugh to share. If we decide to use social networking less and get out into the world more, life will be more simple. We won't covet the things we don't have, we won't take things out of context of what people are saying, we won't seek attention. We will just live. Make relationships that are more than just over the internet.