Is Social Media Making Some People Anti-Social?

Over the past year, I thought & pondered a lot on how social media mega brand Facebook might perhaps have a sometimes negative influence on our lives – besides the fact that some FRIENDS seem to spend way too much time reading that timeline, posting, commenting & LIKE:ing. Hey, I´m just as guilty. You will certainly see me LIKE:ing, FACE-Bragging, Checking-In and the whole nine yards….. BUT..

I, for one,  miss the genuine interest from so called FRIENDS and I feel I for some odd reason have more interaction with what I would call acquaintances then my once real friends. Strange.

Along down the same drain went common manners. It is now OK (or is it?) to LIKE a Happy Birthday shout out from myself to my daughter – rather then 1. taking the time to write a personal message or 2. Perhaps a quick comment even. Stunned!!

I am the old fashion gal that still sends gifts for birthdays, Christmas and other Occasions & for some strange reason expect a Thank You back. No, not a hand-written calligraphy card sealed with wax stamp. Nope. Perhaps an email, text message or even… a Facebook comment. Of course, some do and are GREAT at it, but some need a refresher course. A booster shot in Manners 101.

Christmas Cards – do not even go there. What happened?!?! Seriously, is it only me that miss the old fashion way of kind communication?  On the other hand, I am also the first IT-GEEK to say I love Social Media, the Internet, blogs, Instagram – although I don´t get Pinterest…. Whaaaaaaat´s up over there anyways??? 

So, if you know what your FRIEND ate for dinner, where she went over the weekend and that she now LIKE:s JCREW – but you havn´t personally reached out to here in a long time. Well, what are you waiting for? Do It. Time flies, and we are all stuck in our hamster wheels, spinning a mile a minute – but 2 minutes to write an email or reach out with a phone call is time well worth spending in the long run.

And on the other hand, do you have friend you once called your BFF, who no longer are interested in you and yours – then DELETE or even better SHIFT DELETE – you know the old term for deleting permanently…. I have done it, and it feels A LOT better to get rid of old baggage then getting irritated for lack of participation. There is an old saying that goes something like this:

No matter how old of a friend, it is never too late to let them go.

Perhaps not the most uplifting piece I have ever written, but as a mother, wife, sister, daughter, aunt, daughter & sister-in-law and friend I believe it is important to focus on what is really important in life and cut out anything that is just not fun anymore, and if it is an old and once dear to your heart friend, it might be time to let her go, and you will feel better after. I promise.

Due to all my 19 moves, I have learned who were good friends, and who I had to let go. It is not easy. At all. In fact, sometimes very sad, but I am a stronger & happier person for it, and rather then pondering over the past – I look forward to our future and keep thinking of something witty, sassy and slightly smarty:pantsy to write on that famous status update…… You know I won´t quit it. Facebook, that is.