I agree with your comment that social media takes more heat than it should - I use it to promote The Bus (mostly Facebook and Instagram), and though admittedly I get little new traffic from either it's useful. I also use FB to keep up with friends back home - though I know it's all carefully curated. You never see that arguments and tantrums leading up to and following that forced photo of jollity on the beach!
As a parent of very media-involved kids though, I'm concerned with how what Newport (rightly, I'd say) characterises as entertainment becomes so all-consuming. And when I suddenly discover I've just evaporated 30 minutes scrolling through videos and photos of people I would normally have no interest in at all - and still don't afterwards - I can see how it becomes an unhealthy rabbit hole - and I (hopefully) should have the capacity to switch this off!
An interesting debate - and I don't think it's going anywhere!
Honestly, I think that social media takes more heat that it really should. Mind you, I think it deserves 95% of the venom directed back at it (action - reaction) but I still get some good out of it. Probably deserves its own post.
The Stop entry deserves more thought on my end. Hoo boy, maybe yet another post.
I only know of Descartes from the "I think, therefore I am" philosophy. I've never really thought of the mind and body being two distinct entities. It's interesting, though.
I'm definitely on board with reducing social media presence in one's life. I truly believe it's a huge and negative impact on society today. Granted, I do engage in social media (with the exception of Facebook), but if something happened and it ceased to exist, I wouldn't mourn.
Thanks, Mark - I always appreciate your comments. I do find a bit of use for social media - I keep up-to-date (in a sense) with some friends back home on Facebook (though I know it's all curated - you don't see the painful arguments leading up to that lovely family photo in front of the Christmas tree, for example) - and I always post a link to The Bus on Instagram (and therefore Facebook). But I find myself slipping so easily down the rabbit hole - and half an hour later, I just feel ... well, soiled. And as a parent, I find it very concerning. If I'm able to slip down that hole so easily, what chance does a kid who's social life is grounded firmly in the virtual have?
I agree with your comment that social media takes more heat than it should - I use it to promote The Bus (mostly Facebook and Instagram), and though admittedly I get little new traffic from either it's useful. I also use FB to keep up with friends back home - though I know it's all carefully curated. You never see that arguments and tantrums leading up to and following that forced photo of jollity on the beach!
As a parent of very media-involved kids though, I'm concerned with how what Newport (rightly, I'd say) characterises as entertainment becomes so all-consuming. And when I suddenly discover I've just evaporated 30 minutes scrolling through videos and photos of people I would normally have no interest in at all - and still don't afterwards - I can see how it becomes an unhealthy rabbit hole - and I (hopefully) should have the capacity to switch this off!
An interesting debate - and I don't think it's going anywhere!
Honestly, I think that social media takes more heat that it really should. Mind you, I think it deserves 95% of the venom directed back at it (action - reaction) but I still get some good out of it. Probably deserves its own post.
The Stop entry deserves more thought on my end. Hoo boy, maybe yet another post.
I only know of Descartes from the "I think, therefore I am" philosophy. I've never really thought of the mind and body being two distinct entities. It's interesting, though.
I'm definitely on board with reducing social media presence in one's life. I truly believe it's a huge and negative impact on society today. Granted, I do engage in social media (with the exception of Facebook), but if something happened and it ceased to exist, I wouldn't mourn.
Interesting stuff, as always, Bryan.
Thanks, Mark - I always appreciate your comments. I do find a bit of use for social media - I keep up-to-date (in a sense) with some friends back home on Facebook (though I know it's all curated - you don't see the painful arguments leading up to that lovely family photo in front of the Christmas tree, for example) - and I always post a link to The Bus on Instagram (and therefore Facebook). But I find myself slipping so easily down the rabbit hole - and half an hour later, I just feel ... well, soiled. And as a parent, I find it very concerning. If I'm able to slip down that hole so easily, what chance does a kid who's social life is grounded firmly in the virtual have?