Recently, as I've been praying about Lent, I've thought a lot about what I consume. I consume too much. The more I indiscriminately consume food, the less I appreciate and enjoy good food. But, I also consume too much information. In many ways, social media has become for me like the consumption of intellectual junk food. I munch on a post, an article, or some political or ecclesiastical commentary and, for a few moments, I feel full. But I quickly become empty again. It takes greater effort to eat good food than it does to consume fast food. It takes greater effort to read a good book than it does to read a tweet. It takes greater effort to have substantial conversations with friends than it does to have brief online exchanges over some recent social media post.
Social media does expose me to more information, but as one spiritual author that I've been recently reading mentions, this type of information is like having too much wood on the fire. Instead of stoking the fire, it smothers it. Like the Gospel of Martha and Mary, I've been wondering if the Lord is asking me to be less attentive to the many things so that I can be more attentive to Him--the one thing that is necessary.
I don't want to know the President's daily thoughts or the opinions of everybody else on the President's daily thoughts. I don't think it is always helpful for me to know every word the Pope uttered (or reportedly uttered) today, or what some priest, bishop, news organization or website thinks about what the Pope uttered (or reportedly uttered) today. These things can be helpful, but they also can distract from living a recollected and serious life. They can become junk food that replaces the solid food of slow, deliberate, and reflective meditation.
So, two weeks from today begins Lent. The big question for me is whether giving up social media is a good thing or not. Social media definitely has its plusses, but it also can have negative consequences upon my Christian life. I gain information and opinions from social media, but I'm not sure I gain much wisdom. It distracts me by providing me a barrage of information that is more or less interesting, but it hinders me from pondering the deeper mysteries.
I wonder when I write a blogpost if I'm too concerned about how many people will like or share it. Blogging without the benefit of social media would mean that it is out there for the reading, but that it is not there simply for "likes and shares."
Lastly, I wonder if social media is helping me to love my neighbor more. I don't think that it does. Knowing everyone's unreflected and instantaneous thoughts and reactions to EVERYTHING doesn't always make me love and respect them more. In fact, sometimes it causes me to judge them solely according to some knee-jerk "share," "like," or comment. God is able to look at each one of us in all of our multiplicity of thoughts, actions, feelings, and words and judge us justly. I'm not quite so gifted. I sometimes seem only capable of judging others on their latest tweet. Perhaps taking a break from the social media scene will help me to love my neighbor more by not having to see their every waking thought about everything.
Who knows if I will pull the trigger on this one? No matter what, it seems that spending more time being fed by the True Food that comes from heaven is a much better source of nourishment than munching on the junk food that is often the fare of social media. Lent is a good time to draw closer to the Lord by going into the desert with him. And maybe, in the desert of Lent, there is no wifi connection. There is only the Word.
It's sad that such a dependence on social media has been created in the first place. Most of my adult life took place in the time before the internet was so prevalent. Perhaps think back to those days and how we used to live and maybe that will make it easier to go without social media during Lent.
ReplyDeletePlease don't give up social media for Lent. In fact, as a penance, do more. Consider your social media presence as your internet parish. Your posts are spiritual homilies for us. We need them.
ReplyDeleteIf you desire to be more attentive to the Lord then cut out twitter and such, but don't cut down your own posting. As a shepherd please lead us to the Lord and many of us only hear your voice on-line.