Does Social Media give us a False sense of Connection?

Social Media is fun. It’s interesting. It’s time consuming! But even more importantly, is it possible that it is distorting our sense of connection? Because we know what Sam ate for lunch, and that Suzy went to visit her kids in the UK, and that James got a new dog, we feel connected to our friends – just because we read about it (and saw photos) and maybe even hit the LIKE button or perhaps we went all out and made a comment. Is this true connection? ​

I don’t know. I’m asking. How do you feel about that? Is it satisfying? Is it as satisfying as making a phone call? Is it as satisfying as meeting a friend for lunch? 
 
The world is moving so fast nowadays, we have fallen into thinking that we don’t have time to get together. We barely have time to make a phone call.  “I’d better just send a text – it will be quicker!”
 
Don’t get me wrong. I love my computer. I love social media. I wish I had more time to spend on it. But I realized it was actually becoming part of a time management problem.  I go to check facebook for a few minutes, but then there is an article to read, a video to watch, a political situation I want to be better informed about and the next thing I know, an hour has passed and I haven’t done the thing I sat down at the computer to do.  So now, I’m not only questioning the merit of all the LIKE buttons I clicked, but I’ve got a time shortage issue. Its time to re-evaluate how social media fits into my life.
 
Instead of a false sense of connection via the LIKE button with 50 or so friends on facebook today, I have decided to make a couple of short phone calls (ear to ear connection) – just to say hi – and agreed to give a friend a ride to the airport (face to face connection.)  I’ll be checking out whether this feels like a truer, more satisfying, connection. You can do your own experimenting. I’d love to know how it goes for you.   
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