Why I Facebook
Scrolling through my newsfeed, I see such a mix: beauty, frustration, pain, humor, annoyance, nostalgia, hope, crassness, anger, faith, depression, worry, and love. It is a core sample of America: what we talk about when we are given a voice. My friends range in age from teenagers to great-grandparents. Each one has a life that is his or hers alone. Each person has an inner world, and we only see the surface of it, especially on Facebook. Yet all of these people are intentionally coming together to share pieces of their world with others: photos, quotes, interesting articles, videos, prayer requests, angry tirades... Each status update is a window into what that person is like on the inside.
I like to check Facebook often and keep updated on what my friends are saying and doing. It inspires me and helps me to interact with people I might not see every day. I also like getting to know people better and having the opportunity to comment on the things they say and do, even if I never see them face-to-face. It makes the world seem smaller and humanity more connected if I am receiving daily updates on strangers who live in New York City. I scroll through the comments on posts that interest me. Do other people think like I do? Are they saying the things I would say, or is their response completely different? What are other people doing in response to this article, this story, these words? Are they grieving? Are they praying? Are they angry? Are they looking for humor in it? Are they offering hope?
As I read the stories in words and pictures, my own mind, my own story grows. As I connect to each of these people, places, and things, I crawl out of my own life's bubble and experience the world. It moves my hands to action, my heart to empathy, my mind to expansion. What a way to start the day!
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