Social Media Is No Substitute For Social Interaction

I have not written on this blog in over two years, and I am a bit worried that I may have forgotten how to be a blogger, but here goes anyway.

I am somewhat of a Facebook addict. I spend way too much time there, scrolling through my news feed, looking for glimpses into the lives of my friends and loved ones. But why do I spend so much time going back; especially when a lot of what I find is political ranting, or shares that I am not always interested in? I think it is because I am looking for something real. 

Don't get me wrong, Facebook is a great way to stay connected to friends and family, and to keep up with their news, photos and interests, but it is no substitute for real interaction. That is what it really comes down to. I go there so much because I sometimes get lonely. I'm looking for human connections.

Life gets busy, and I am an introvert on top of that. Scrolling through Facebook is much easier and less risky than putting myself out there in the real world. Hiding behind a screen I can feel like I am being the supportive friend, the funny sidekick, the eternal optimist, the one who always remembers birthdays, the positive influence, and the stalwart ally. In some ways, I can be all of those things via social media (along with the flip side, but let's keep things happy), but not to the extent I could be.

Facebook is like walking down the halls of high school getting fist bumps and high fives (aka likes) from your friends as you pass. Fist bumps and high fives have their way of making you feel good about yourself, but they are not satisfying when what you really need is to have a real life conversation and look someone in the eye. Telling someone you love them or support them via social media can be a wonderful and uplifting thing; it certainly has its place, especially when it is with people that live far from you and who you can't possibly see in person.
How many of us, though, are using Facebook to stay in touch with people that are local to us? Sure, there is the excuse that life is busy and it is difficult to coordinate schedules. I'm not saying that it doesn't have its place, but is it really that impossible to carve out a little time? Even if a friend may be too busy for a social outing, what if you just dropped by and left them a plate of cookies, a handwritten card, some flowers, or just looked them in the eye and said, "Hey, I think you're great and I love you?" Why are those things so easy to type on Facebook but so hard to say in person?
I'm not saying you need to get in your car and have a massive road trip to visit your favorite Facebook friends (would't that be awesome though?). Maybe just start with one person on your friend list. Put yourself out there. Look someone in the eye. Say some words. Laugh out loud without using LOL. Give someone a hug. Maybe what the world really needs is some more personal connections and less hiding behind a screen.
Go ahead and do something simple but awesome for someone else. I dare you.