As I'm going through the final edits of my book, I'm cutting some parts, which makes me sad. I'm not ready to send my omitted sections to the dreaded digital trash can, so I decided to share them here. You'll get a glimpse of my writing style and I get to share works that I am not ready to let go of.
We constantly hear that we should stay connected in the digital world. We are prompted to download numerous apps so we can connect with friends, potential employers and organizations. And if you are trying to promote yourself or a product through social media, the expected amount of connection and digital reach becomes slightly overwhelming. I think it is just as important to stay grounded, with real connections, IRL.
Such an odd abbreviation, one that we never imagined would be necessary before the rise of the internet. But here we are, at a time when staying grounded in real life is just as crucial as staying digitally connected. Authentic relatiosnhips are more vital than metrics. Remember to put down your phone and engage with the people around you. This train of thought prompted this section for my book, but it just didn't flow with the story, so it found a new home here
The combination of social media and the worldwide pandemic has created this weird world where no one wants to talk to each other. Likes, comments, and follows have become more valued than human interaction. We were not created to live in solitude. Our souls crave human interaction and face-to-face connection.
Sure, getting a break from people and having time to yourself is nice. I'm an introvert; I frequently need to recharge my social battery. I could improve my social skills as well. I can send someone a charismatic email or text, but I may be awkward during a face-to-face meeting.
One of the easiest ways we can be more social is to move away from a screen and interact with people in real life.
People can be anything they want online; they can be deceitful and mask their identity, or they can conceal the state of their emotions or mental health. Social media shows only glimpses of someone's life. We get to see the highlight reel, but the lowlights are rarely shared for everyone to see. I understand everything isn't for the world to know. We should not put everything on social media. But everyone should have trusted individuals that they can talk to when their lowlight reel seems to be on repeat.
Social media has this incredible potential for positive connections, but it can also cause people to become disconnected and lose touch with reality. Talking to someone in person or even hearing their voice over the phone helps us to ground us.
I have made some great connections with people online and through social media. It is not all bad; I'm not saying you can't have a meaningful digital connection with someone. But we must also connect with people in the same room, building, or community.