The Big Monster

Backroad Ramblings

Christy Fredrickson
Posted 2/16/18

It’s a grand thing to find out you’re doing something right. It’s an even grander thing to find out you don’t have to change a thing to be cutting edge.

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The Big Monster

Backroad Ramblings

Posted

It’s a grand thing to find out you’re doing something right. It’s an even grander thing to find out you don’t have to change a thing to be cutting edge.
I have been a social media dinosaur for quite some time. I don’t do Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or anything else. I have felt like an oddball and my friends tell me I’m out of touch, but I don’t care. To quote the great Dr. Seuss, “I do not like it, Sam I am.”
But today I am cool. Today I am right. Today I found out I’m on the forefront of evolution.
I just read an article by a former Facebook executive who claims social media is destroying society. People spend so much time on social media that they forget (or never learn) how to have real live conversations with real live people. In fact, several of the big wigs of social media admitted they limit their kids’ screen time.

Isn’t that great? It proves that I’m just as smart as the rich guys. Now, instead of mumbling to my friends, “I don’t have Facebook,” I can look people straight in the eye and say, “Me and Mark Zuckerberg are trying to improve the world.”
Other people are doing studies and finding out that social media is meant to be addictive. They do it on purpose. It’s called “brain hacking.” Who in their right mind (pardon the pun) wants their brain hacked???
You could even do a horror movie about this. The monster comes to Earth looking like a fun, exciting little lamb, but as soon as people let it in the door, wham. It becomes a brain sucking monster.
Another study says it’s depressing for people because all they see is the good things in other people’s lives – their lovely vacation pictures or their perfect kids. Nobody’s going to post a picture of their speeding ticket, or the family dog after he gets run over. Maybe they should make a law that people should have to post one bad thing for every good thing so everybody knows the world is not perfect and bad things happen, too.
Now you might be saying, “Come on. There are lots of good things about social media.” And I agree. My friends and kids are always telling me about stuff they learned on Facebook, important stuff like who’s getting married and who had a baby and who got a new car.
Now, I’ll concede the monster can be tamed and harnessed for good, like the abominable snow monster on “Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer.” But you better have a big, strong harness, because if it gets away, it will eat you.
So anyway, be careful of that big ol’ monster. Put him in a cage now and then. And if there is anyone who is ready to take a break completely, give me a call. We’ll go to lunch and talk face to face. Just because we can.