S'more kisses please?
Patrick and I are starting a blog for so many reasons. It's been a long time comin'! We wanted to stay in touch with family, share our thoughts and beliefs, and record what we do throughout the years (hopefully.)
Well, why don't we use a social media?
1. Not all of our family is on facebook! This is much more informational anyway.
2. Also, when people share beliefs on a social network like facebook, often times they're met with opposition and hateful words from others that don't agree and aren't willing to listen or look further into the why we believe or what we believe. I've had a couple painful encounters with dear friends that I'll never forget and I know the outcome would have been more positive if we talked about our beliefs in person.
3. How many stupid advertisements and adds do you see on social media! Facebook especially. It's ridiculously annoying and misleading to how we view ourselves and the world.
With just one click you could be headed into a dangerous website filled with filth, deceit, and lies. I may sound paranoid or over-dramtic to some but I personally know that the internet has some terrible and misleading images that change people, ruin families, and do not help us to become better.
4. Why do we follow and 'like' things of people that we don't really know. We may have been acquaintances first and then have grown apart but why not put the smart phone or laptop down and focus on the people around you. If you're meant to stay in touch with others, there are many meaningful ways to do so via a phone call, text, or email. I have somehow been under the impression that I have to know what's going on in everyone's life all the time but it is emotionally draining! Hopefully not using facebook as much will simplify our life.
5. And with a long scroll down the feed, I personally tend to feel like everyone else is having the time of their lives while our life isn't the best. Why? Because people often post only the surface of their life and rarely the 'whole story.' How smart is it to compare peoples successes and failures with your own? Hardly EVER a good idea.
6. Which brings me to the biggest point yet. My mental health. Patrick doesn't struggle with facebook usage nearly as much as I do. I admit that I am addicted. I'd like to be able to stay on because there are numerous benefits, especially if you are limiting your time and have a small friend list that post uplifting words every moment of the day, but that is simply not the case for me. I also struggle with minor anxiety and depression. It happens more often than you think! But studies have shown the facebook is not complementary to mental health and actually contributes to anxiety and depression.(article here)
I find myself constantly checking the feed and turning to facebook when I'd rather not accomplish the things I need to (schoolwork, house cleaning, cooking, exercising, in gereal- taking care of my body and family.) It drains my motivation to get things done. It makes me sad to see so much success and a huge gap between their successes and my failures, which leads to guilt because I know that envy and comparing is wrong and that I should rejoice in others happiness.
It is a vicious cycle. And I am done! I want to feel better! I want to be healthy. I want the people around me to know that I love them because I'm spending time with them or talking to them over the phone and genuinely asking how they're doing. I want to combat this depression and get out of the apartment sometimes! I want to be happy where I am, in this exact moment of my life, whatever circumstances life gives Patrick and I to work through together.
We have a life to live and spending so much time glued to our screens is not helping us do so, especially since we're on our laptops doing homework a lot of the time anyway. We are so excited to share our life with whoever is interested in a less time consuming and expressive way.
So, let the blogging begin!
(Disclaimer about social media- many wonderful and great things have come from social media. Missionary work, uplifting words offered to those in need, calmed troubles have been fixed, and so on.Some are not suffering from addiction or do not seem to have a problem so we obviously don't want to make you feel less of a person for using facebook. Our reasons for not using faceboook as often are applicable to some. Please don't be offended and know that we love you.)
-Tamsin
No comments:
Post a Comment