Read on Twitter
This weekend I've been thinking about the benefits and drawbacks of connections. Through social media we can connect with people at every stage of our lives and stay connected long past when those bonds would naturally break. School friends, former neighbors and colleagues, etc.
And we can pursue online connections that would have otherwise been difficult to make. This can help expand our worldview, provide access to new learning opportunities, or feed our passions. It can also create insular echo chambers or like-minded individuals.
I've generally believed that more connections are good. They equal more perspective, more empathy, more opportunities, and more chances for human connection (and that's from an introvert).
But this weekend I wondered about those who are disconnected.
But this weekend I wondered about those who are disconnected.
Whether by choice or by circumstance, some people still live in a pre-social media environment. Perhaps they don't have a strong internet connection or were born, raised, and live in the same place and haven't built a larger social circle.
I wonder if their lives are less stressful than the connected population (I bet they are). I wonder if they're aware of so much of what I consider to be reality, but is only known to me because of the internet and social media. I wonder if what they're "missing" matters.
Personally, I imagined how my life would be different if I was still connected to the 500 people I graduated high school with, or the hundreds of people I met during college (I probably only stay in touch with a dozen or so from each). I didn't have social media then.
Then my mind wanders to the opposite extreme. What if I put my phone down when I left my desk, shut down my computer, and lived a disconnected life after business hours. Would I feel more or less fulfilled? Would my decreased connection with others impact the world in any way?
There are actually portions of each scenario I want to consider moving forward. There are classmates I think of regularly who I've lost touch with and aren't on social media. I should seek them out, reminisce a bit, and let them know they made an imprint in my life.
And I probably need to disconnect more. I spend many hours on my couch or in bed, on a device, without an agenda. I could sleep more regularly, get out of bed earlier, read more books, or maybe even exercise (!) if I set boundaries there.
I could journal.
But then you wouldn't get threads like this, since Twitter is my default journal.
I digress.
But then you wouldn't get threads like this, since Twitter is my default journal.
I digress.
As I talk it out, I realize more than ever that it's important to know your "why" for being on social media. What benefit does it offer you? How can you use it to benefit others? Are there ways it's destructive or harmful, and can you minimize that?
@josieahlquist is the master of helping us find discern our why for social media engagement. You'll find it regularly in her feed, her blog posts at https://www.josieahlquist.com/ and in great detail in her upcoming book (which you should be pre-ordering!)
https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Leadership-Higher-Education-Purposeful/dp/1620367521/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&qid=1597629010&refinements=p_27%3AJosie+Ahlquist&s=books&sr=1-1
https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Leadership-Higher-Education-Purposeful/dp/1620367521/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&qid=1597629010&refinements=p_27%3AJosie+Ahlquist&s=books&sr=1-1
Despite envisioning what disconnection might look like, I'm not going anywhere. I am, however, recognizing the need to be more purposeful with my time spent on social media. I want to build personal boundaries so I'm not tied to my devices.
I want my downtime to feel more restorative. I have a lot of access to restorative activities: I love cooking and I've got everything I need to make anything I want. I've got a lovely garden. Quiet, country space. A lovely bathtub. More books than I can read in a year.
Yet, I neglect these things because I keep checking social media. Or reading blogs, endlessly scrolling. I have to give myself permission to miss things, and to develop new activity patterns. The connections will still be here.
The pandemic is teaching me to appreciate my home.
The pandemic is teaching me to appreciate my home.
This was a little meandering, but perhaps I'm not the only person working through this line of thinking. I suspect it's especially relevant for others who work in digital media day in and day out.
It's ok if we change our approach. And change it again. Change is growth.
It's ok if we change our approach. And change it again. Change is growth.
