The Ugly Truth about Social Networking

I’m an avid user of every form of social networking available. I have accounts with facebook, twitter, linked in, and choose to ignore my space. I’ve already told you what I think about online dating, and today I figure I’d let you know what I think about social networking.

It reeks.

Yep, you heard me well. I think it stinks in a big way.

Don’t get me wrong. I use it, have abused it, and will continue to use it. But I also believe it can be a huge thorn in the flesh and point of discouragement.

I’m not sure what to do about it, but because I’m good at criticism, I figure I’d start by thinking about some of the reasons I don’t like it.

It’s a huge time waster. I’ve never been a big net surfer in the past. I’ve always appreciated the internet, but was never one of those people who spends hours going from site to site trying to figure out what minutia was missing in my life. I’ve found the exception with social networking. Hours have flown by while I’ve tried to figure out the sixth degree of separation between myself and the cute cousin of the friend of my friend.

You get the picture, and it’s ugly.

But maybe that’s just me.

Then there’s the fact that it makes me jealous. No easy way to express in any other terms. Facebook in particular makes me jealous. So does twitter for that matter. I can’t handle too many other venues for jealousy, and I have to guard this with a keen mind.

How many friends does my friend sally have? Why didn’t Randy ask me to be his friend while all our other mutual friends hang out online? And don’t get me started on that party that everyone in my world went to except for me. I mean, that friend from high school surely didn’t know I was working on that night. She could have invited me and allowed me the privilege of refusing.

Oh, and then there’s those pictures that my ex boyfriend forgot to place privacy settings on. Or maybe he didn’t forget. And what does she think she is? She may be pretty but I’m sure I had a better personality.

Hours later, I’m reeling in a pool of discontent and dissatisfaction, wondering how God could ever make me suffer this way, thinking about people I’ve not thought or heard about in years, sure that their life choices landed them the eden they are living in while I’m suffering away in a world of pain and hard work, outside the circle looking in.

Listen to me clearly: I am in no way remotely ready to give up any of my social networking. I am using each venue shamelessly to promote what I believe is the cause of Christ. I know, I know. There are cynics out there who are presently accusing me of self promotion. Get a life. You are wrong. My agenda is to declare the name of Christ loudly and boldly for those who need to hear it.

But I also am writing this as a warning. Don’t make assumptions based on a few pictures. Don’t draw conclusions without hearing the whole story.

I’ve been there, done that.

And it’s ugly.

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