Last night I read book by torch-light. It made me smile. Earlier in the week I’d had one of those life jolting moments. There I was sitting on the sofa, in a vegetative state, multitasking. That is lurking on social media and watching TV. Except without much thought I’d watched half an hour of Motorway Cops (to precise for anyone who has missed the show; people getting arrested on the motorway).
What if I died? This is how I’d spent my last hours.
“She spent a lot of time on Facebook” it’s not the eulogy I had in mind (please no one mention Motorway Cops).
Instead of Motorway Cops and lurking I could have been doing something worthwhile like running or reading a book.
On the face of it I am a woman with lots of time (I’m not working and my son is at school) and yet I never have enough time. I have lists I never seem to get to the end of. It’s how I’m using my time. Social Media is a sly at sucking time away. Touch app on my phone a whole host of mentions and alerts are waiting to be filtered and responded to. Or there’s some relevant (but if I’m honest mostly irrelevant discussion) in a Facebook group that for some reason I need to read all 89 comments. Bingo! There goes more of my life.
Everyone seems to have at least one friend who resists social media. For that friend it is the instrument of the devil. Not to be touched for fear of being contaminated. Eager social media fans, like me, extol the virtues of the modern miracle of communication. Citing examples of friends across the globe who are able to share their delight:
Everyone’s on the beach in Australia.
Oh look it’s raining and cold here.
But Motorway Cops and pointless social media lurking is a good example of the devils work. I need a better balance.
I won’t abandon social media. Social Media has introduced me to some of my favorite people (although they have similar issues). It’s the lurking, observing, reading, not commenting, scrolling through. Like watching a motorway from a bridge. Mesmerizing for a bit but it doesn’t actually add much value to life. I’m aiming to use social media less and join in more.
Having hit a low point, the next day we had a family trip to the library. We’ve enrolled and came away with a big pile of books; recipe books, holiday books, walking books and fiction. It’s been a positive injection. We’ve had enthusiastic conversations about our borrowed books. We’ve eaten something new. Last night I read a book by torch-light, Mr Noo was asleep but my book is good and I wanted to finish the chapter. When I lay down to sleep my mind wasn’t racing.
Next week it’s the Easter holidays and the walking books have given us some ideas. It’s good to get outside. I will ‘share’ but not ‘over share’. Another thing about social media, that niggles; stop it people we don’t need to know everything! and yes, I’ve been unfollowing/reducing my view those types this week. Don’t get me started…..
Did you notice how I quietly ‘forgot’ about running? It’s too cold to run? Yes?
What about you? What are your plans for Easter?
You are a very wise lady indeed… I broke my smart phone recently and thought I would be lost without it, and do you know what I didn’t miss it at all… I find myself using facebook less and less and have to remind myself to look at Twitter, and I am not that sad about it to be honest! Good for you anyway, enjoy your reading! Emma 🙂
I had a week out last year and it was brilliant – it’s so easy to get sucked in again….
Oh I lose soooooo much of may day to facebook. I really must get a life, a proper one I mean, but I do love a good lurk 😉
imagine if we could add up how much time we actually lost to FB *winces*
You are soooooooo right. I even pondered closing my Facebook account about a month ago in a bid to stop me reading loads of irrelevant rubbish. Didn’t manage it though but am more mindful!
Wow! I am too addicted to actually ditch the account… or too much of a lurker!
I so hear you when it comes to social media. I try to allot small pockets during the day, and then, that is it. If I haven’t got anything to say, I don’t bother. This Easter?m Wearing a woolly hat and gloves probably!
I really like the idea of small pockets of time – will try that. thanks X
I’m on social media way way too much. Twitter sucks so much of my time away from me, but I still love it. I’m aiming to get out with the kids and make some memories over Easter. And wat chocolate. A lot of chocolate.
Me and twitter we are so fickle, we often don’t speak for a couple of days… I don’t love it like I did 🙁 what’s the secret?
Love this. And I’m with you on turning down the volume on social media for a while. You never know, maybe I’ll – uh – pick up my phone and actually call someone. Or something.
I used to have a mobile phone for telephone calls – now I have it for social media. Am a saddo.
I’ve had to take a step back recently too, as a craft blogger it actually helps if I make something – which is really hard to do if I spend all my time on twitter!! Plus I’ve got commitments to both the PTFA and my son’s preschool. I’m suddenly very busy in real life, which is probably better than being busy online
It’s probably much more interesting and that’s jus the start…
Snap! I read a book on the train home from London last week and we have a posh new library in town which we went to this week. Have the expats upstairs to read. Fanks for linking. Wouldn’t have met you without twitter, but so need to rein in the phaffing I do also.
Oh is the expats good?
Social media is such a black hole isn’t it? When I first started blogging in August I was totally sucked in by it all and then burned out really quickly. Now I’m rarely on Facebook or Twitter because most of the time I don’t have anything to say and do you know what? My blog is still there – it hasn’t vanished into cyber-space!
Exactly! It’s so easy to think that we have to flog ourselves silly and what for? at the expenses of being interesting and having stuff to actually write about!
I spend most of my life in libraries, so I’m glad you joined. However I need to get out of the library (especially on my day off). I’ve resisted most social media – it is the devils work – except wordpress which I joined almost accidentally.
Easter in Devon. I just can’t wait to get back. When I’m looking out across the sea (or the countryside for that matter) I can even let go of the stresses of work for a short while.
Easter in Devon sounds wonderful – I hope you had fun.
Wise words Gemma. Trying to abide by them myself as we speak but it’s soooo hard …*does a bit more lurking*
🙂 *lurks too*
Sitting at my laptop for another night, I can’t help but agree. I can’t remember the last time I read something written on paper other than my post! I am planning on more time in the “real world” over Easter and have a trip to Cardiff planned already :o)
Happy Easter! xx
Hope Cardiff was fun. I have really enjoyed actually reading a book and have slept better – as it’s a much better switch off at the end of the day. Not sure why it took me so long to appreciate this!
I found myself glued to my phone rather than playing with my children right in front of me. So I’ve also cut back and at weekends especially will only really tweet in the evening or when they’re asleep. Amazingly no one seems to notice or care that you’ve gone 🙂
Oh and it’s never too cold to run…
Agree. No one notices online – it’s only the off-line people in front of you who do notice!
Really? Never too cold?
See always late to the party me, but its because I have also been getting on with life rather than letting social media rule me. I take regular breaks, am ever so slightly bored of it all now……..
This is a fab, I am very guilty of reading but not getting involved I’m also trying to engage more rather than letting the motorway slide past me. Please don’t say our gravestones have to say what we did last!
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