Do you know the children’s tune, “deep and wide, deep and wide, there’s a fountain flowing deep and wide…”?Yet instead of “deep and wide”, I hear in my mind THIN and wide.
Thin and wide describes what social media can do to our relational networks. It is SO easy to add hundreds of people to our list of contacts; yet practically not build any deep and meaningful friendships.Last month I was teaching a class in Burundi, Africa and had an (initially uncomfortable) privilege of being disconnected from mobile email, facebook and twitter.
From that experience I realized how distracting those buzzes, beeps, and rings are.Most of my interruptions come from people whom I have no current relationship with, inviting me to events I don’t care about (located in another time zone) – stealing my attention from the important needs of my present day.
Now, I’m not offended by social media marketing i.e. friendship spamming. But I’m starting to see fruit and productivity by abstaining from constant media distractions.
Have had a media detox lately?
You may want to try one and see your real relationships grow healthier.