I’m going to tell you the least cool thing about me: I love Facebook, and I have very few thoughtful qualms about technology. Both have enhanced my life overseas so much, it’s hard for me to be anything but positive. Here’s the short list of reasons why I think of Facebook as a gift.
- My friends and I witness each other’s lives. When I visited the States this past month, I didn’t field off-base questions like, “What does your hut look like?” My friends had a good sense of my life, and I was current on theirs. Instead I simply enjoyed being in the presence of friends and family—a pleasure that social media will never replace.
- My son and his grandparents stay connected. When I was sick with a tropical flu, my mother-in-law called my three-year-old over video chat. He answered by himself, and they played Legos together for two entire hours while I napped.
- Facebook eases the difficult logistics of life overseas. Through crowdsourcing among teammates and expats, I have found handymen, restaurants, furniture, medical assistance, recipes, a preschool, two rental houses for staff members in language school, and a bag of marshmallows that made my kid’s day.
- Social media increases my feeling of connectedness and emotional stability. This life I’ve chosen comes with a lot of goodbyes, separation, and changes. The extent to which communication technology mitigates those feelings has been, for me, invaluable. As a result, I have more and better energy to offer my family, team and community.
So there you have it: four things about technology and social media that I never take for granted. Would you add anything to this list? What “thoughtful qualms” do you keep in mind in order to navigate social media well?
