Let me start off my side with saying I am pretty sociable. I
tend to be a little hesitant to talk to people at first, then I warm up and you
can’t get me to be quite so I make friends pretty often. Well, it so happened I
had the great blessing to make two beautiful friends when I was around eight. And
then, they both moved away. Now I’m also a very stubborn person. I wasn’t (and
am still not) the kind of girl to give up a friendship just because there is
some distance between us. And so I took up writing to these two girls, as I got
older our correspondence changed to emails where we were able to grow our friendship
with how quickly we were able to talk.
From emailing I got to where I was
really good at communicating almost exactly what I meant through the written
word. Then I started going to a few other social Medias and met some really
wonderful girls, some of which the friendships have lasted, some of which have not.
But in short, internet has been one of the best things that happened to me
because I have been able to maintain/make friends through it so much easier
then I would any other way.
I actually met one of my best friends online.
Now, I cannot tell you how many times people have told me or
I’ve read a blog saying that there was no way online friends could be anywhere
close to ‘real’ in person friends.
Nor could I tell you how many times I’ve read posts about
how we all are on social Medias too much and that we need to get off them and
spend time with our ‘real’ friends.
So what does real mean anyway? Do you think just because I
write these posts on a computer I’m a fake blogger? No. It’s just a different
way of communicating. It’s the same with friends, if you think just because
they have to type out what they say instead of having the pleasure of meeting
up to talk that they are not really friends I really am sorry.
I understand completely that sometimes we spend too much
time on social Medias instead of spending time with the people around us but
sometimes they can be the best things for us.
Because I can tell you for sure, that I would never have met
two of my best friends if I hadn’t been active online, I would have never
written three of my books, I would have never had the inspiration for at least
ten more, and I would never have had the wonderful pleasure of getting to talk
to ya’ll.
Think the next time you’re going to tell someone to get off social
Medias.
Think of all the joys God could be storing up for them there.
Think of all the joys God could be storing up for them there.
Think of the friends they could meet.
Think about the book that they could write.
Think about that person they may be able to encourage by being online at the right time.
Think about that person they may be able to encourage by being online at the right time.
Not all online friendships are as deep as some of the ones I’ve
been blessed with, and I still love meeting with my friends in person. But I can
tell you for sure, being on social Medias has changed my life for the better.
-Mikayla-
Nice post, Mikayla! The internet has helped me stay in touch with some of my friends, too.
ReplyDeleteI do have one question. How much social media is too much social media? I totally get how fun it can be to be on social media (otherwise I couldn't comment!), but where do you draw the line between it becoming a waste of time and what's a good amount?
Yeah, I think it might have helped you with one friend in particular. ;D
DeleteWell, that is a really hard question because it has a lot to do with personal conviction. As in, I spend about one hour a day checking and responding to all my stuff on social medias (Varying greatly to what I have to do, sometimes its only 15 minutes). But Sarah, has to spend a lot more time because its linked to her work. I think where you draw the line, no matter how much you have to check, is that if social media becomes more important to you then spending time with God or your family, your deffantly spending to much time on it and should cut back.
But if for the most part your just interacting with people online, reading blog posts and maybe one or two times a week getting on Pintrest and spending half an hour just having fun, I would say thats no problem becauses thats not excessive.
Does that answer your question?
-Mikayla-
Yes it does, thank you!
DeleteGlad I could help! =D
DeleteYES!!! Online friends rock and I'm so thankful for the invention of the Internet!! There is a place where you must draw the line, though, but most of us have pretty good judgement. ;)
ReplyDeleteOnline friends can be a very big blessing. =D Drawing the line can be pretty hard sometimes, but thankfully God is always there to help us. =)
Delete-Mikayla-