After roughly 10 weeks of being deactivated from a major social media platform for no discernible reason, I got my account back! It would not have happened if a friend hadn't connected me with someone who works for that company. Even so, it took a lot of time, repeat emails, and simply waiting. I'm thankful to be reconnected. It's a great way to keep in touch with family and friends and allows a further reach for ministry.
Yet I'm still feeling a little disoriented. All the good things about unplugging--I don't want to lose that! How exactly SHOULD I spend my time on social media? How much is too much? When does my desire to be/feel connected become unhealthy? The pull to "just check my notifications" can turn into such a time waster!
As a homeschool mom, it's alarming to me how often I feel I'm doing just that: wasting time and "death scrolling." It's frustrating that my brain seems to have been rewired simply by using technology for the last couple of decades. And I realize that if I, a mom who didn't even have access to the internet until I was in college, struggle with these things, how much more difficult is it for our children who don't know a world without smart phones and search engines?
Technology is a tool, and like any other tool, we can use it for God's purposes or selfish ones.
And there are technology tools to help us control (or at least navigate) our technology use!
One reason I'm pondering these things is that I'm 2/3 of the way through John Crist's book Delete That (and Other Failed Attempts to Look Good Online). I'll hold off on giving a review right now since I'm not yet finished, but I will say that I appreciate his willingness to share some vulnerable thoughts that many people have but don't feel comfortable admitting. And again, as a homeschool mom, I'm tucking away some nuggets and pondering parenting strategies in light of Crist's experiences growing up in a large Christian homeschool family himself.
If you've read the book, what are your thoughts?
If you've had similar struggles with technology use, how have you overcome them (or what are you doing to help)?
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