During Lent I decided to give up all social media for 50 days.
No twitter.
No Facebook.
No Blogs.
With that said here are a few thoughts that I discovered by not having social media in my life.

1. Less Distracted

This first is the most obvious. Not having it allowed me to stop wondering/worrying about who posted what, reading another link, or checking my phone while out. I found I could accomplish much more in the day. Too often I would read something, click a link, comment back, check to see if someone commented on my comment, and next found out that I wasn’t getting done what actually needed to be done.

2. Social Media has replaced real interaction between people

I had no clue that without social media I would be completely on an island. I realized that all the “friends”/ “followers” that people are so worried about updating and posting for really are not that at all. Most people just want a quick glimpse. Cell phones are no longer used for actually calling people. Out of all the “friends” and “follower” I have, only about 4-5 actually cared enough to call and talk about life, instead of waiting for a quick 140 character hit. Did most do it on purpose? No. But I realized how many people have substituted real interaction for cyber relationships.

3. No more competition

Most of what twitter offered was a continual competition of who could get the next 140 re-tweet. Rooted in who had done what, who could get someone to forward out their best saying for the day and what the world needed to stop and know about them. Myself included in this. Without it I was freed from getting sucked into the competition that leaves so many questioning, struggling, and wanting to give up, because their 140 characters don’t offer or sound as great as another.

4. The important things got my first

Instead of rolling over, checking my phone, pulling up facebook, etc. I could rise each morning without worrying about what to say to twitterland or facebook world first. I could spend the first moments of my day with God and focus on my family before the kids left for school or my wife was off to her daily routine. Without social media I realized that so much of my time is hijacked by a tweet, link, post, picture, etc. It was great to set the phone and computer aside and sit with what is most important.

5. Social Media is effective

With all that I learned about not having it in my life, I also realized how quick people can connect. How quick people can respond to a need, to pray for someone in a rough place, to help a situation. With the world a click away, it was obvious that facebook, twitter, blogs, etc. are useful to communicate in the world today.

Will I continue to use it? Yes. But, I have realized the place, time and approach in my life to use social media when needed, but to release myself from the addiction that it can quickly become. Too many people have allowed it to neglect their spouses, family, and time with God, to see how many “friends” responded to a post, or how many “followers” may have re-tweeted their quote of the day. Life is more important, and people are more important. I hope to use these tools to effectively help, but not allow them any longer to replace the ways in which this world needs to understand real interaction with others.

So I’m back, but it won’t be the same