Admittedly, I struggle with finding the right balance between what’s important and what’s not. This is especially true for time spent on social media and making Facebook posts. interactions, personal and professional.
With raging wildfires turning the Western United States into a giant furnace—why post a restaurant review? Seems so trivial. With a new variant of a global pandemic on the rise—why post pictures of a bottle of wine? How shallow that is. With Trumpism still threatening to undermine American democracy and stoking ugliness in millions of his supporters—why post my recollections about a poker event?
With precious water resources drying up all over the planet made worse by man-made Climate Change—why post an opinion about a sporting event? With so many dangers and problems everywhere—why post another question about the best concert you attended or your favorite album?
I recognize that much of what I post, and what’s on Facebook is superfluous. It’s a distraction. It might even be counterproductive since it drains our attention and diverts energy that could be better channeled to addressing so many pressing issues.
It’s not easy.
I remain uncertain as to how often to post, what subjects to post about, and how heavy-handed to be when it comes to expressing a strong opinion. Perhaps some of you struggle with these questions, as well. If so, I’d like to hear your thoughts.
Nonetheless, I do suspect many of us come here and engage because we need a “time out.” A breath of fresh air. A whimsical spin of the roulette wheel not knowing who is posting what to expect on the next page scroll. I also suspect many of us come here simply because it’s one of the very few places to discuss important subjects, often with people we know and trust, but just as often with strangers who are capable of providing fresh perspectives. It’s a gathering in the town square. Accordingly, I find that everyone who engages in social media does so for different reasons, and those reasons constantly change within ourselves according to our mood and needs at any given time.
Hence, be prepared for a wine review, a gambling story, a political rant, AND a discussion of music — sometimes all on the same day.
Nolan Dalla blogs about a variety of topics here, as well as more casually on Facebook.
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