Today, Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp went down for the count.
They hit the mat hard around 11:45 a.m. EST.
A referee was standing by, almost afraid to make the call.
Because literally it must be just a solar flare, downed servers,
or the parent company is about to tap out of the social media game.
Amidst rumors of more wrongdoings in a blame-shame-take-no-responsibility game.
Look, I have no clue.
I’m simply an occasional user.
Not a huge social presence person,
until the last few years,
I mostly stayed far, far away.
I bemoaned the need to like and scroll,
not seeing the point of sneak peeking into another’s world,
seeing what they eat, think, talk about, go off and on.
But I also see the platform doesn’t have to be the enemy.
Whether Facebook, Instagram, or another,
all are a place to share wins, ideas, connect, promote, sell, make friends—virtual friends that is.
But heck most things in life have gone virtual the last few years, have they not?
In fact, like all things, there are two sides to the social coin, but this isn’t about chatting merits nor bashing potential addictive tendencies.
It’s not even about having a moral debate.
Because at the end of the day,
it’s up to each individual to
put
down
the
device
and
simply
walk
away.
If that’s not easy for you to do, well, consider this.
Therapy is within reach as this word share is a tongue-in-cheek, all-hands-on-deck call.
But in reality, we have a generation of young and middle and old who cannot put down their phones—easily.
Who cannot log off the apps.
Who cannot make eye contact with their own children, spouse, friends.
See, I think the majority can agree that the addiction to like, heart, comment, post, scroll, and swipe runs deep.
And is actually no laughing matter.
Imagine an addict being without their drug of choice for an hour, two, when in need.
Well, we’ve passed the two-hour mark as I write these words, and all we see are downed server messages, black IG screens, and somewhere in middle America a screaming teen in the bathroom stall of her high school science wing letting the temper tantrum fly high.
She is after all an “influencer” and who will she even be without all those daily reminders of her filtered greatness?
And that right there should be of grave concern, as how we have become a society that so quickly looks outside oneself for validation.
Because in another town, city, suburb, there is another teen thanking the Gods, or servers, for taking these platforms offline.
Inwardly thrilled at the silencing of all the social.
Able to finally breathe without all the pressure of all those profiles, images, posts, likes, comments to live up to.
She can find some sweet relief and stop the madness of comparing her life to those she scrolls through on IG—seemingly day and night.
For this moment, she can stop trying to be perfect and simply be.
Both of these scenarios should have us doing more than shaking our heads…
can’t you see?
Don’t you agree?
Yet, this is what I see.
Why it troubles me.
Why I chose not to get into the game of it at all—until recently.
For it is a game, if you did not know.
So I’m officially calling all therapists as you may just be needed come sundown if this here shutdown, meltdown, server down thing continues.
Well, by the time I hit publish, this may be old news.
That’s how fast things roll by in today’s world.
But why I chose to press pause in my day and write these words makes me giggle inside.
See, today I woke up and decided it was the day to go all in on my new-to-me since last week, Free Facebook Group, Write Your Book Already!
Me. A nonsocial addicted individual.
I was about to hunker down,
learn all things Facebook Groups,
put my eggs in Mark Z’s blue and white branded virtual basket
and rock out building a community—
organically.
Are you horrified or laughing your ass off too?
I’m happy to admit I’m belly-laughing, unfazed by the turn of events, as how delicious is all this?
And what a #win, not to react when just this morning, I actually reached out to a mentor of mine to say, “I’m in, let’s do this! Teach me all you know.”
I ended up saying, “I’ll be free in a few hours to begin…”
And in that time,
between me saying, “Hell yes, Facebook Group, Baby!”
my plan blew up.
Along with so many scroll-happy people’s Monday.
Or did it?
For me, it’s simply a pesky fly buzzing by,
not a big deal, but a wake-up call of,
hmm, isn’t that interesting.
And a need to reevaluate.
Facebook was about to be my sole focus of business growth through the end of this year.
My way to find my voice,
to step out,
to being more visual.
To shine,
to no longer hide in plain sight as a ghost writer is me,
but instead, to create impact,
by showing up and serving others
who have a dream of writing.
At least, those six videos I shot, I didn’t do on the platform and potentially lose.
If you’re addicted to a social media outlet, to anything,
and use it as fuel to feel as though you are enough,
if you check an app daily or hourly or (gasp) more
to compare yourself with those scrolling by,
maybe it’s time to slow your roll—
for real.
To see that when we cannot control an urge, that actually is an addiction.
Addictions are tricky, complex, and nothing to scoff at. Some can simply put down their phone, close the browser window, and move on with their day, their life.
Some won’t skip a beat or miss a thing.
But others might need some help
as not being able to see a like,
upload new shares,
or mindlessly scroll
may suddenly mean being present with oneself.
And that can be a sh*tstorm of scary for many.
For me, it once was.
If you need help today, ask for it.
There is no shame in admitting you need help.
In fact, it’s heroic to do just that.
To choose not to suffer silently solo.
If you’re heavily invested in one platform,
using it as your only method to run your business,
grow your business,
perhaps learn from my near catastrophe today,
as all one’s eggs do not belong in someone else’s virtual or real-life basket…
Now do they?
Agree or disagree, share your thoughts in a comment with me.
~
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