Facebook One Year Later~What I Love and What I Hate

A little over a year ago, my Mountain Man and I took the plunge and signed up for a Facebook account. Yes, this crusading anti-Facebook Mama had to choke on her words...and as a result of my time there, I wrote a few things about how to behave on Facebook.

Like many, I have a love/hate relationship with Facebook. It's mostly what you make it, but it's also what other people make it, and sometimes the two get tangled, and things get messy, and I don't like that part.

What I Hate

I hate that most of it really isn't private. There's a nifty sidebar that tells you what every friend you have is doing--how many levels of Candy Crush they've conquered and what posts they liked and what they said. That's really none of my business, and it's frustrating to realize that complete strangers have the potential to see almost everything I post.

I hate that people get testy and let differences interfere with fellowship. As I've mentioned before, Facebook is a medium for expressing our opinions, and often our opinions offend others. With reasonable friends, I know I can discourse with them in a friendly, or even in a heated, way, and we'll still be friends. But, with others, that's not the case. It's easy to be censorious and to take the bait (I've done that!) when we just need to agree to disagree.

I hate that Facebook can be a means of discontentment. Perhaps part of it is knowing what so many people are doing instead of a small circle of friends. The temptation is to be dissatisfied with one's own lot, and when that happens, it's important to take responsibility for our own sin instead of blaming others for "making us" feel dissatisfied.

I hate when people say it's not real. Many have said that none of this social media is "real", which always leaves me wondering why any of us are doing it then in the first place. Of course, it is real. It is a limited reality, though, just as work relationships often are and, sadly, even some church-family connections. Those who interact with us only on Facebook will never get the big picture of our lives, but that doesn't make Facebook an artificial world that happens only in our imaginations.

I hate that it's a time-wasting temptation. It's easier to justify time spent there because Facebook can be quickly checked and statuses easily commented on. But minutes add up to hours and hours add up to days. And our lives are the measure of our days. Are we spending them well? For me, I have to consciously watch my time and guard against social media becoming an easy answer for not dealing with the undesirables of life.

What I Love

I love being able to access the help and knowledge of others. It's amazing what friends know and what friends can do. When Clairesy injured her head in a fall, and I posted a question about getting stitches, a nearby  friend quickly answered my question and was at our home in 10 minutes. Another friend shared a helpful tip about dealing with congestion in infants--something this long-time mother had never heard of, and yet another made a recommendation that helped me survive hard water for a time.

I love the encouragement and prayers and awesome shared quotations and book recommendations.

I love enjoying the big and small moments of delight and victory in others' lives.

I love the conversations that make me think.

I love the surprise connections that God has ordained there. You just never know how God can use even Facebook, and we now have connections with two very special families because of our time spent there.

I love that Facebook can be a mirror that reveals the darkness of our hearts.  Am I petty? Do I always have to have the last word? Do I care about others enough to encourage them and pray for them? Am I envious? Do I struggle to rejoice with others? Do I have self-control? Am I a coward, or am I bold about what I believe? Do I fear God or man? Am I a good steward of my time? Am I addicted to social media?

Will we continue with Facebook? For now, remembering that it's wise to regularly evaluate anything we do, making sure it accurately reflects our priorities and isn't a stumbling block to living a life for God's glory.


With love,
Trisha