Facing Facebook

LoboStudioHamburg

Last week, I read a post by a friend who's had enough of Facebook. She's not the first and, quite frankly, I can't blame her. But, by the same token, I wonder if now is a time we need Facebook more than ever.

It's not news that social media, in general, has the potential for both advantages and disadvantages. Whatever your preferred platform, it's easy to scroll endlessly, growing more disillusioned and angry as we do so. But, as one of my students astutely pointed out in a class discussion, it depends on whom you follow.

When I first joined Facebook, it was to connect with friends I hadn't seen in years, and that's still my favorite part. Recently, I've re-connected by phone with friends from high school and college -- reconnections made possible by Facebook posts and friendships. Such conversations would be a bright spot under any circumstances, but they were a special source of joy in our current circumstances.

I have to admit that this last election cycle -- or perhaps the last four years -- showed me things I can't unsee and, in the last several months, I've found myself reconsidering which online friends might not be friends at all. And, like my friend who's taking a hiatus, I've considered taking one, too.

But I like being on Facebook for business reasons. I like sharing my latest posts and news about my writing projects, and I like keeping those posts separate from my personal posts. And I like seeing what my real-world friends are up to now that the real world is keeping us at a distance.

I'm not sure it's a bad thing to reconsider the connections we're making and where we're making them. Just as friendships grow and change or fail to stand the test of time in the real world, so, too, does that happen online. When something -- or someone -- is toxic, it doesn't much matter if the toxicity if real or virtual.

So, I think I'll be sticking around, but I want to be mindful about it. As in the real world, I won't walk away from a friendship over a simple difference of opinion or one disagreement but, in reality or online, I want to surround myself with people who make me laugh, make me think, or simply make me happy to be around them.

And, as long as that's the case, I plan to keep social media a part of my days.

How about you? As we socially distance in the real world, are you stepping into social media, or stepping back from it?