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| Photo by Kat Jayne from Pexels |
I did it when I woke up to go to the bathroom at 4:30 am. I did it again a few hours later when the alarm started blaring. I reached for my phone, opened social media, and cluttered my mind with noise. FAIL. What could I have possibly missed while you and I were sleeping? I'm not sure but whatever it is I MUST KNOW as soon as I am conscious! FOMO is a real thing.
We live in an age of non-stop information. Sometimes it feels like a blessing, but I'm starting to see it as more of a curse. It feels a lot like chaos. Sometimes I want to scream "Calgon, take me away!" I just want a break. More importantly, I need one. It is unhealthy to wander around wondering what I might miss if my phone is out of reach, or the TV isn't on, or I'm not connected to the web so I can read the latest opinion from someone else, without having to use my own noggin and form my own opinion by gathering facts and making an informed decision. Memes and opinions are not facts. Ouch.
A few weeks ago I lost my phone and the anxiety I felt shocked me. It unnerved me to be without it. No calendar. No Internet. No Facebook. No Instagram. No texts. No calls. No alarm. I felt naked. And then I felt........quiet. It took a bit to settle into the sound of silence. To listen to the still small voice instead of all the loud, obnoxious ones, or even the amusing but distracting ones.
In the theater world, the term "noises off" is used to refer to distracting sounds coming from backstage, props falling, loud talking, etc. It's the noise that shouldn't be there, because it distracts the audience from the actual play.
Social media has become the "noises off" of my life, the distraction from what I want and need to focus on. It's the thief of my peace, something that quite literally steals my attention away from worship; interrupts me from loving and serving those God has placed in my life. As much as I enjoy keeping up with my friends, liking photos, connecting with family members who live far away, and even updating people with funny (at least I think so) posts about my own life, those things can quickly take center stage and throw me off balance. Like when I was at dinner with my parents this weekend and took a cute photo to post on Facebook, only to then get distracted by someone else's post while I was trying to upload my own, and causing my dad to ask what was so interesting that I was always reading my phone........ FAIL.
Ah yes, I was missing out on life right in front of me to look at photos and posts of someone else's life. Giving up the limited time I have left with my parents to find the best emoji to engage someone miles away from me. I think it makes more sense to actually enjoy my folks before I am left with only memories. To make sure they feel loved and cared for when I am with them, instead of ignored and boring. Come to think of it, time is limited for all of us because we are not promised tomorrow. So I'm going to start by spending more time in prayer and study of scripture. Trying to remember the answers to my questions instead of immediately googling them. Turning off the TV. And most importantly, engaging the actual PEOPLE IN FRONT OF ME. Facebook won't go away, and neither will Instagram, heck, I'm using them to post my blog, duh! But they will take less of my attention and receive none of my devotion.
God help us all turn off the noise.
