So like I mentioned before I stayed away from social media (Facebook, Twitter, this thing, Instagram. That’s kind of all I have I think. Except Pinterest. I still went on Pinterest.) for several weeks. I hate admitting this, but I actually missed it at first. Okay, actually it was more like half of the time I missed it. Someone would say something hilarious and I immediately wanted to tweet it. Talk of an adorable Instagram would arise and I wanted to see it for myself. I feel the need to explain that I was not and am not a social media addict. It did not consume a significant part of my day and I really did not post much which makes sense since I prefer to observe rather than participate. More ranting. Sorry.

Anyway, at a certain point this glorious wonderful beautiful thing happened: I forgot any of those sites existed. I don’t have any way to prove this, but I felt like my days were more happy and breezy. And I had this revelation that for me, social media detracts from my experiences because of the burden of posting (that is what I am choosing to call this phenomenon. Let’s spread the news about #theburdenofposting and liberate millions from their self-imposed misery.). My same personal philosophy behind picture taking drives this burden: by taking the time (mental and actual) to take the perfect picture or publicize the funniest quote I heard that day I am removed from the actual experience. Instead of enjoying the moment and realizing its full potential I put my energies toward documenting the moment. And I hate it. I am at my breeziest and contentest when I choose to use my mental and actual time to notice my exact feelings, surroundings, sights, friends, family, weather, opinions, relationships, love both given and received. It’s my life anyways. Even if I post every significant and life altering moment no one else will ever be able to experience the joy, love, sadness, excitement, fullness of those experiences. Admittedly my life will probably not be well documented. I can guarantee however that it will be well lived.

Disclaimer: I love looking at pictures. Mostly old ones (which would support the argument that I should be taking as many photos as possible for the joy of reminicing later. I know. I get it.). Or photos of places. Whatever. I’ve accepted that I am basically one giant walking breathing paradox.

Guess what? I’m back on social media.

I hate what it does to people without us realizing, but I still use it. I am a cyber hypocrite. I know that good can come from it. It has given our society a way to stay connected with those not close to us geographically that was never possible before. But here’s my issue: while it enables conectability I feel that it also hinders closeness. (Another disclaimer: I know that thought is not new, novel, or noteworthy. My purpose in including it is not for profound oos and ahs, just for better understanding of my position on the matter.) Social media sites are not to blame alone. Technology as a whole has contributed to the problem. I don’t feel the need to talk about feeling disappointed while in a room full of peers all intimately engaged with their screens or any of the other arguments that have already been eloquently made, especially because I am typing this on my laptop.

All I am trying to say is I hate when people use social media for the wrong reasons or at inappropriate times, I actually felt happier when I stopped using it, and now I am back on it. Duh.

So not a ton of progress has been made as far as opinion making. I hate it and I miss it and use it and I don’t know what to do about it. I am starting to notice a trend: I really don’t give you, the reader, any form of resolution. I feel poorly about that. Although I warned you that this blog is meant for exploring not deciding. And you can rest assured that your reading experience is disturbingly similar to my actual thought processes. I knew you were worried.

I might be bad at making decisions, but at least I am not bad at exploring all of the options. If I was bad at both this would just be another compilation of angsty persuasive arguments that only closeminded people would read. Ew.