It's been over 7 months since I last felt compelled to write here. I even missed my first day of February post this year because even after significant consideration, I just didn't feel like I really had anything to say. That changes now because the truth is I have things to say, but my words are being wasted on forms of "communication" that I am coming to loathe.
Perhaps I am becoming a bit of a curmudgeon in my old age, I did turn 30 yesterday after all, but the Communications major in me and even more so the human being in me has grown displeased and impatient with the convenient, impersonal, and thoughtless ways in which we interact with each other. This is not an indictment of any of you specifically, but a criticism of myself and society as a whole. We take to Facebook and text messaging to disseminate information in the exact same manner to our loved ones as people we haven't talked to since high school. Now I absolutely believe that texting has a place in our lives for brief interaction that very many times can be concluded in less time than it takes the phone to actually ring, but it has no place in serious communication.
And Facebook is the worst offender, or rather we are with how we use it. It allows us to lack any manner of intention when communicating with everyone we've ever met. You have a bad day? Put one line on Facebook or post some melancholy lyrics and hope that people comment to share in your misery or offer encouragement. Sadly the same is true for good news. What happened to actually talking to people and connecting with them? Even email is a far more preferable form of communication, at least it requires that we consider the people in our lives with whom we should share certain information, and allows us to connect a bit more directly.
What's really lacking in our lives, though is actual conversations whether in person or on the phone, and more archaically snail mail. Again, I am as much at fault on this as anyone. There is no form of communication that takes more intention than snail mail, and perhaps because of this there is no form of communication that delights us more. How many of us wouldn't rather receive more cards/letters and phone calls than merryhappycongrats-texts/Facebook posts?
"But I'm too busy." No, you're not. Sometimes you are, and that is totally fine, but if we all added up the amount of time we wasted on Facebook or what someone really meant by that text, I think we'd be astounded how much time we'd have to spend on more meaningful methods of communication.
At the risk of sounding like a Luddite, I'm taking communication back by reverting to methods that are much more personal, meaningful, and intentional. This means that my time on Facebook will be drawing to a close. This will not be immediate as I need time to save contact information, but it will happen. I hope that you will also join me in this effort--not necessarily leaving Facebook, but just being intentional about your communication with the people who really matter in your life.
This also means that I will be blogging more. For real this time! :)
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