Originally, I was going to write this post about how I now need to stop and think about posting pictures of my kids on Facebook.  Now that Frick and Frack are getting older, posting pictures on them in their Christmas pajamas seemed like an invasion of their privacy.  Something that could end up being embarrassing to them.  It was different when they were little.  What tween wants their photos in their cute Christmas pjs plastered all over the internet? I know that I wouldn’t have wanted my parents to do something like that when I was a tween (which is something that we were not called when I was 11.) Boy, I am SO glad that Facebook and other social media sites did not exist when I was growing up.  What also got me to thinking about this subject was the news that my favorite podcast, Maniac Mommies, was ending.  It seems part of their decision to end the podcast was based on the fact that their kids are getting older and stories about tween/teenage angst are different than stories about toddlers/kids doing toddler/kid things.  In fact, they shared this blog http://www.homesanctuary.com/rachelanne/2014/02/dear-lonely-mom-of-older-kids.html which hit home (and was very comforting too.)  I will still blog about Frick and Frack but will definitely be much more cautious in what I share about their lives.

Which got me thinking about the whole social media thing. I love Facebook because I can keep up with what my extended family is doing. Most of my family lives in another state.  I love seeing what the assorted family members are up to and watching the younger ones growing up. And my family gets to see what Frick and Frack are doing. But as stated above, I am being much more judicious about that.  I also have liked numerous pages of things that interest me. And let’s face it, who doesn’t love a good, funny cat video?  I like Pinterest because there are lots of good ideas to be found there (along with just some beautiful photographs of practically everything as well as quotes to inspire you.)  I like Twitter to get instant reactions to whatever is happening at that moment.  However, going down the social media rabbit hole is a huge time suck for me.  As the book, Wine Makes Mommy Clever by Andy Riley, a birthday present from the boys, says “Facebook makes Mommy’s morning magically vanish.” It wasn’t just my Saturday mornings, though. I found myself checking my iPhone constantly, during the times that I take the bus, on my lunch break, after dinner or Sunday afternoon.  So I’ve added the “Moment” app for my iPhone. It keeps track of how much time I spend on my iPhone. It is amazing how quickly I can get to 90 minutes, just “glancing” at my phone now and again. So I am trying to read more and have recently begun Anna Karenina, a novel that I, the English major, never got to in college.  I find just looking out the window on the bus ride is actually relaxing.  Zoning out can be a good thing.  In fact, the NPR story where I heard about the “Moment” app, was about a challenge by New Tech City‘s called Bored and Brilliant project. It is a week of challenges “to help you detach from your phone and spend more time thinking creatively.”  The challenge’s tagline is “The Lost Art of Zoning Out.”

So, social media, the bane of my existence…I really like hanging out with you. But, I think it’s time we spent a little more time apart (at least on an hourly basis). We will see how this self-imposed time restriction will work out.