It's A Virtual World

     I know that social media is such a huge part of society these days. There is Twitter, instagram, and Facebook, where you can share your life instantaneously. There are huge perks to that. I know on many occasions , I have been reconnected with an old friend, received important news,been invited to parties, and yes, even found out about the latest gossip. However, in a society where everyone wants to be connected, stay connected or get connected, it can be overwhelming, and very time consuming.
     I watched a mother so busy taking pictures and posting them on her Facebook page,(I could see her phone)and then responding to all her Facebook comments, that when her daughter asked her to "look" she missed an important moment. Now, trust me I have been there too,so I am not judging this mom, it just brought it to my attention.
Are we so busy trying to prove to our "virtual friends", how much fun we are having, how beautiful we look today, or how exciting our lives are, that we  are actually forgetting to live our "lives"'?Are we becoming so obsessed with what the virtual world thinks of how we appear to be living, that we are missing some important moments? Are we so self absorbed with how many comments,or likes that we have, that we forget to live in the present?
  I am guilty of spending too much time on Facebook, writing on my blog, and my latest addiction... Candy Crush! If I am honest ,I too have missed out on moments, or time spent away from my family due to the intense curiosity that the virtual world holds over my head.
   I just got an instagram, just so I could follow Nolan, and that's how it started. Now I post pictures, videos, and even my latest dinner! I don't understand twitter, but mostly I don't have this account, because all of my tweets would be: doing laundry, cooking dinner, at park, doing schoolwork, driving to baseball, driving to cross country practice, etc..., you get the point!BORING!
     I believe there is some sort of disorder associated with it. I know that for some, their mood depends on how many "likes" they get, like the bathroom scale to an anorexic.Its crazy. We live in a world supposedly so connected, and yet the suicide rate is at its highest. Depression medication is one of the top medicine dispensed by physicians. In this day and age, information can be found by the push of a key or the click of the mouse. You can find out about anyone, find everyone, and know everything about their daily lives, from when they brush their teeth, if they brush their teeth, to their bowl movements!
     We are on information overload. Everyone can live in their own reality show on a you tube channel,and we can praise, judge or bully them about it on Facebook! Where is the mystery anymore? I don't ever have to go to another high school reunion, to find out what happened to this girl  or that guy, because I can just stalk their Facebook profile and find all I need to know! (don't act like you haven't done that either, I mean I haven't, but I'm sure you have!:)
   On the other side of it,there are so many positives to the virtual world epidemic.. I love to find an easy recipe to cook for dinner, an easier way to teach algorithms( to look up the definition of algorithms!) to Regan. I love blogging and use it as a tool to attract readers.My kids take classes on the internet, and I have found out what illness I have and how to cure it by punching in my symptoms! You can pay bills, plan vacations, send instant messages, and renew subscriptions. You can order clothes, shoes, and books, never stepping into a mall.
     Yes, there are many benefits, and I am not saying we shouldn't use them or that I don't indulge in them. We just need, like everything else, balance. We need to know when to put the phone away, how many pictures of ourselves to post on instagram, and how much time we are spending on the internet. We need to remember to appreciate our life, live our  life, and experience our life to the fullest. We should live in the moment, be in the moment and enjoy the moment. Real life is worth living.....And besides, the more you live, and experience the more interesting your Facebook status' will become to all your friends!:)