The same day that I read about Facebook being the 3rd largest country by population, I heard a radio ad for a local cable/Internet provider. They extolled the virtues and capabilities of their system: the highest speeds, ease in social media posting, and no boundaries to what you could access. They punctuated their claims with this catchy slogan:
{name of company}…LET IT ALL IN.
I have not been able to shake this out of my brain. “Let it all in…let it all in…” It just turns itself over and over.
I love social media. I mean, just look at my sidebar! I have connected with, literally, hundreds of people with whom I would likely have never connected without it. I get a pulse on what’s happening in the everyday lives of my friends, sometimes moment to moment, and it’s FUN. But, the 3rd largest country? Really? Over 500 MILLION people connected via screens, large and small?
As I was pondering this bit of trivia, along with the phrase that won’t shut up, I had a picture pop into my head that came from seemingly nowhere. A picture of a beach, lined with houses. People love the beach. It’s a place of fun and relaxation. But people don’t necessarily love the beach IN their house. In fact, if the beach and its oceanic counterpart come inside the house, it can really be damaging. Case in point:
What this picture has left me with is this: I don’t need, nor SHOULD I “let it all in.”
Just as we put in windows and doors in our homes to keep out the damaging and let in the good, so should we place boundaries with what we let in our minds and hearts. I don’t know about you, but maybe I need to examine how much “life” that happens “behind the screen” is actually taking over the “real life” that’s supposed to be happening outside it. Are the “friends”, “likes,” and constant chatter of the online world taking the place of coffee with a neighbor, long walks with my better half, or time alone with the Creator of communication, Himself? If that’s the way the scales are tipping, then I think my boundaries might be compromised. Before I know it, my whole house could be filled with sand and salt water.
There really IS truth in “too much of a good thing.” Gotta do what it takes to find some balance in what I let in.
“Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that’s where life starts. Don’t talk out of both sides of your mouth; avoid careless banter, white lies, and gossip. Keep your eyes straight ahead; ignore all sideshow distractions. Watch your step, and the road will stretch out smooth before you.” Proverbs 4:23-26 MSG
Well said my friend. And as one is has allowed the online to overtake her life from time to time, this is a message that we all need to hear and to heed.
Wish everyone could read this post. What great insight!! Just this evening, Tom said I should call someone and see how they are doing and I said oh, I will send her an email. After reading this, I am going to call her. 🙂 We are truly letting social media take the place of a personal touch the way God intended.
Not only can we fall into the trap of letting too much in, but we can also get into the habit of putting too much out there. It is a fine line we walk with social media. Great post, Melinda.