Anybody else finding themselves at least a little distracted by technology? There are suddenly so many ways to connect with people, so many gadgets, so many modes of communication. But has it genuinely improved our relationships at all?
I can text, email, message on Facebook, tweet, give a +1, Chat, send a postcard, comment on your Instagram, call you on your cell phone, or even just post obnoxious pictures of you from high school. And most of these can be done from one of several devices I own! But what does any of this have to do with genuine relationships?
I believe that these tools can be beneficial if kept in perspective. We can use technology to stay in touch with real friends. But what I think is most common is that our technology ends up becoming an end in itself. We enjoy getting feedback. We like getting “likes”. I am not a doomsayer suggesting that the end of humanity is here because we use smartphones. But I have blogged on this topic a couple times over the years, because I certainly have found in my own heart, problems centered around the use of technology and social media.
I also recognize that there is a strong desire to project a certain side of me that is more favorable. From that perspective, social media is downright sinful. When I am more concerned with image, then social media becomes a marketing tool to get people to like me and like the things I like. In one sense, social media at its core is personal marketing. And if that is true, then the logical question becomes, marketing for what? Are we for sale?
