So today is Ash Wednesday. As I looked at my Facebook page and my Twitter feed this morning, I was surprised at the number of people stating they were checking out for the next 40 days – but some with a promise they would be back.
I am sure the rationale for giving up social media for Lent has to do with the amount of time spent staring at a computer screen or smartphone. This is time that many might see as a complete waste of time. Time that could be better spent focused on being more engaged with immediate family or doing something good in the community. If that is truly the case, and it may be for some, then my hat is off to them for making a vow to go cold turkey and use that time for better purposes.
However, it got me thinking though – before all the craziness of social media, did people give up sending emails to friends or writing letters to distance loved ones? Did they unplug all their landline phones and vow to not to make that Sunday call to Aunt Virdie and Uncle Herb? Did they pledge to not talk to their neighbors during Lent? Perhaps some did, but I highly doubt that giving up those things were trendy Lenten sacrifices.
So why is social media looked at differently? Is interacting with our family, friends and followers through social media channels somehow less “real” than other more traditional forms of interaction? Given that many people are giving up social as a sacrifice, one would be inclined to say “Yes.” If that is the case, I would challenge that just giving up for 40 days, to then just come back to it is not enough. If a person believes that Facebook or Twitter is a time waster, then why stop at 40 days? Why not give it up permanently and spend that time on more “real” interactions?
I actually think in our changing world that social channels are a genuine part of our engagement with friends and family. I have actually reconnected with cousins and other extended family through Facebook. Prior to Facebook, I am not even sure my kids knew I had cousins back in East Texas – much less know their names, what they look like and even what their kids are doing. Much like writing letters, making phone calls or sitting down for coffee and pie with neighbors; posting, reading, and commenting on social media sites is just another form of engagement with people – especially with those that are not geographically close to you. Why would one want to stop engaging with friends and family as a sacrifice?
That said, too much of anything can be a bad thing. If one has become obsessed (and I think I fall into that category at times) with constantly looking at Facebook or checking out the Twitter feed, then perhaps the more appropriate response is moderation. That’s why I am not giving up social media cold turkey for Lent, but I am committed to not being as compulsive about it for the next 40 days and hopefully beyond.
Robert Not Bob 