I got an email asking me if I wanted to post an infographic they had made of some positive benefits that might be derived from the judicious use of a television. I went back and looked at my old post here. I was even more drawn to a comment by our old Sonlight friend, Luke Holzman who blogs here. Luke represented that Facebook and Twitter are just tools. The comment was a thoughtful one about which I am pretty agnositic right now. I honestly believe the harm of a television in the home so far out weighs the benefits, I encourge people–especially people with children–to “Kill Their Television“.
I have to admit, though, that I am on the fence with Facebook. I had an open Facebook account (I hear you can never really erase them) for a period of two or three weeks several years ago. I hated it. It certainly did not bring out the best in me. Even further, I have to admit that I check out Lorena, my wife’s Facebook at least once per week to see what family and friends are up to. I am also agnostic about Instagram and Twitter. I have them even less figured out than Facebook.
So what am I saying here? I am wondering if anyone could tell me how to use Facebook in a way that is comfortable. How often should I read it? How often should I write something? What is appropriate/inappropriate for people of different ages in terms of what they do on it? There are lots of different questions that could be asked. I guess the real answer I am looking for is whether there is a way I could have and use a Facebook account as a tool in a way that is not creepy. Is there a way I can use Facebook in a way that comports with my worldview and accrues to a positive good great enough to bother with the effort?
I really do not know the answer to these questions. I am sure the answers are different for everyone. I really do want to know the answer.
Then there is Pinterest. Can a real man really have a pinterest account?…
Good post, Ken! For myself, the key word of your post is “necessary”. (Sorry, in Latin America we leave punctuation outside quotation marks.) As with all things in life, we have to weigh them. I found that “Faceplant” which I used a lot–too much–for two or three years (probably more! …as the old saying goes, “Time flies when you’re wasting it!”), had some advantages that I really enjoyed, but the disadvantages far outweighed them, the principle problem being that precious commodity that we all have, but don’t know how much: Time. Even the best things in natural life can be time thieves. So I suppose that’s (one instance) where, as you wrote, Ken, it would maybe be an individual answer for each of us, although it seems like the solution might be pretty even for everyone? Surely we could all improve in the Best things by sacrificing some good things and even some better things. Life’s too short and eternity’s too long for any other reasoning to hold water.
(I did find out a while back how to not only disable FB/FP, but also totally delete everything on my old account, along with the account itself. It worked. At least I can find no trace of it.)
Thanks Jon. First, a question from a mere engineer to someone who actually understands language. In English, is there every any circumstances when the punctuation should be outside the quotation marks. I remember very clearly learning that the punctuation should be inside the quotation marks, but it does not always seem logically consistent.
I like the comments about “good” and “better.” (Is that punctuation right?) The older I get, the more I realize that there are a lot of good and altruistic things with which we can occupy ourselves that get in the way of our doing what is right. Right is much more important than good. I am exactly on the same page as you with respect to FB. I WOULD like to know how to delete that thing completely. Actually, that would give me great joy.
Facebook is a wonderful way for me to keep in touch with family and friends in Scotland in a way that has not been possible before. The time difference no longer matters and we share news and photographs.
Privacy is controlled by settings and I say nothing on FB that I am concerned about others seeing.
It’s part of the fun of life and I so appreciated seeing a great nephew, who attends a Gaelic school, participate in a school quiz, in Gaelic, thanks to streaming capability, on BBC ALBA.
I don’t know if my life is right or wrong, but I’m having a good laugh at life and enjoying all the benefits I have without the worry. And, by the way, I have cerebral palsy and my husband was a university professor.
I enjoy your blog a lot but I wish you laughedv more.
That is the thing I did not consider Margaret! We, too, are much more connected to our close and extended family in Mexico because of Facebook. There are lots of people we love in Mexico, but really would have no realistic way to stay in touch with all of them because there are so many. We know more about how they are doing and what is going on in their lives than we would if Facebook were not available.