Facebook is a Luxury

Happy Saturday! My thoughts for the day:

We all should stop and really see Facebook for what it is. It's a luxury. It's supposed to provide entertainment by connecting us to others around the world.  The Internet is this huge advantage we have over so many who don't have any access at all.

I played Farmville back in the day. I've spent my own fair share of time playing Candy Crush and Pogo. "Back in my day" we didn't have a way to block game requests. It's funny if you read the last sentence to yourself in that little old person voice.


I'm almost 39. Thirty Nine. Only 39, in 8 days.  I'm not old.  I grew up in the 1980s in an entirely different world. We currently live in a version of what the future always looked like in sci-fi movies I watched back then. It's frightening a little when I really think about it. I heard on the news today that Smart TVs are always listening due to voice control being on. Anyone could hack into your home and listen. When did all of this become so real?

Click here to see "Shiny, Happy, People" because, well, it's happy.

I grew up in the middle of the national forest in Missouri. I remember dialing 4 digits to call my great-grandma. She lived up the road (she still lives there). My cousins and I explored outside and were gone until dark. We played Atari, Uno, dominoes, Scrabble, Monopoly, and The Game of Life. “We” is the key word here. Do people really have face-to-face conversations anymore?

It seems to me that a lot of people are just waiting for something to offend them so they can post an even more offensive reply that creates controversy. So many drama queens. I have an 8 year old daughter, so I know something about that.

I know people post about their personal businesses. I post about mine as well. I won’t unfollow someone just because they use this platform to advertise a small business.  That’s the luxury of Facebook.  We’re informed about products or services that can make our lives better in some way, without having to search for them.  We are able to buy from people we know and support their families.

I realized quite a while ago that I could make Facebook as positive as I want. I follow people who 90% of the time post something positive or funny.  I’ve decreased the amount of drama that shows up in my news feed. Facebook is a luxury. It’s entertainment.  I refuse to be an adult bully just because someone has a different view, belief, or background.  I do occasionally read the angry, irrational comments for entertainment,  but never let them get to me. I am amazed at how intolerant people are of the views of others.

I have chosen to surround myself with positive people.  I try to control the outside information that is entering my body and mind. Controlling the negative is a necessity at this point. I love the whole #livehappy movement, which is dedicated to the idea that small acts of kindness can change the world.  I believe that.  I choose the luxury of Facebook to promote happiness and respect. Humans should really be able to respect opinions and beliefs that differ from their own. We live in the reality of what sci-fi was 30 years ago, but apparently have already forgotten how much of a luxury that is.