Rachel, this is SO timely. I’ve spent many a season in the quandary of social media. Living overseas for quite a while, I wasn’t able to do much posting for security purposes but I would find myself scrolling. Which turned into just scrolling when I moved back home. Years ago I was much more intentional with posting beauty found in the small things. I thrived as a writer in a space like Substack that was a secure blog whilst overseas--documenting beauty in the every day through pictures and words. I too have found myself experiencing many of the symptoms you described when you are social sick. Honestly, social media can truly steal being present with yourself, God, and whoever else is with you in that moment and is a constant pull throughout the day “I should post this, I can post that”. I like your idea of using social media only during a set time of the day. Thank you for sharing! There is much more I could say to all of this but I wholeheartedly agree and want to move forward with social media in the same path you are laying out. :) And yes! I’m a huge brownie lover and would love the recipe for your fudgy brownies. Please and thank you. Thankful for you, Rachel and thankful for this space.
Thank you, Elaine! I struggle so much with the concept of just getting off it entirely because I think that there are so many wonderful connections and friendships to make and even ministry to have online - it is the way our world has moved! - but I also don’t want it to rule my life. I hope that these strong parameters for my own use of it will be as helpful as I think they might!
Here's a book rec: A Gentleman in Moscow by Armor Towles! It's fiction, but I think it reads almost as if it could be nonfiction. I enjoyed it so much!
I also would love to have your brownie recipe! Particularly, if it's quick as I make snacks for kids-club-type events fairly often.
I have been noticing how much I mindlessly a scroll lately, and how often I open the Instagram app, it’s almost just compulsive. But I also struggle with the idea of a social media fast as it seems like the only place where people are willing to make an effort to connect. (But realizing that “connection” is pretty superficial as it’s mostly just one sided…
Definitely some things to ponder over!
I need your brownie recipe!!! I have tried two different recipes this week and they were both intensely disappointing! 🤦♀️
I hear you on the “effort to connect” difficulty, Becca! I think that maybe this is just a natural outcome of the general migration toward digital connection vs. in-person connection, but then I decide that for me, I would rather put extra leg-work into some genuine in-person connections (even if I’m always the one reaching out) than have solely digital connection!
Rachel, this is SO timely. I’ve spent many a season in the quandary of social media. Living overseas for quite a while, I wasn’t able to do much posting for security purposes but I would find myself scrolling. Which turned into just scrolling when I moved back home. Years ago I was much more intentional with posting beauty found in the small things. I thrived as a writer in a space like Substack that was a secure blog whilst overseas--documenting beauty in the every day through pictures and words. I too have found myself experiencing many of the symptoms you described when you are social sick. Honestly, social media can truly steal being present with yourself, God, and whoever else is with you in that moment and is a constant pull throughout the day “I should post this, I can post that”. I like your idea of using social media only during a set time of the day. Thank you for sharing! There is much more I could say to all of this but I wholeheartedly agree and want to move forward with social media in the same path you are laying out. :) And yes! I’m a huge brownie lover and would love the recipe for your fudgy brownies. Please and thank you. Thankful for you, Rachel and thankful for this space.
Thank you, Elaine! I struggle so much with the concept of just getting off it entirely because I think that there are so many wonderful connections and friendships to make and even ministry to have online - it is the way our world has moved! - but I also don’t want it to rule my life. I hope that these strong parameters for my own use of it will be as helpful as I think they might!
Here's a book rec: A Gentleman in Moscow by Armor Towles! It's fiction, but I think it reads almost as if it could be nonfiction. I enjoyed it so much!
I also would love to have your brownie recipe! Particularly, if it's quick as I make snacks for kids-club-type events fairly often.
I loved A Gentleman in Moscow! It was such a good book. Can't wait for the movie to come out - I think Ewan McGregor will make a perfect Gentleman.
I have been noticing how much I mindlessly a scroll lately, and how often I open the Instagram app, it’s almost just compulsive. But I also struggle with the idea of a social media fast as it seems like the only place where people are willing to make an effort to connect. (But realizing that “connection” is pretty superficial as it’s mostly just one sided…
Definitely some things to ponder over!
I need your brownie recipe!!! I have tried two different recipes this week and they were both intensely disappointing! 🤦♀️
I hear you on the “effort to connect” difficulty, Becca! I think that maybe this is just a natural outcome of the general migration toward digital connection vs. in-person connection, but then I decide that for me, I would rather put extra leg-work into some genuine in-person connections (even if I’m always the one reaching out) than have solely digital connection!
I think I know what recipe will be up next! 😉