Back in the day

A long, long time ago, before computers ruled the world and we still had to walk to school in our bare feet, up snowy hills with nothing but a kiss from mom and a huge backpack on our back, we used to regularly do something that many now might consider absolutely crazy--we played outside.

I know. Weird, right? Not only did we play outside, but we rode our bikes to the store.

At age 5.

By ourselves.

My brother and I would get on our little banana-seat Schwinn bikes and peddle off to Quik Stop with our allowance in hand (or in pocket as the case might be) and buy a couple of tootsie rolls or pop rocks and then turn around and peddle home.

No cell phone. No Facebook.

Just a sunny day and the knowledge that our parents knew where we were and when we'd be home.

Don't get me wrong. We knew not to talk to strangers and stay away from any adult that might offer us candy.

When we got home from riding our bikes to the convenience store, we would park them in the driveway and check in with mom and then head on down to the park or our friends' house.

We didn't watch TV much except on Sunday nights--Wild Kingdom with Marlin Perkins and The Wide World of Disney. We ate dinner together and no one ever had to be told to put away their cell phone or quit texting because those things didn't exist.

So now we've got social media. But how "social" is it? Think about it. You're sitting alone (usually), in your room, "Facebooking" with people you barely know in real life. You're eavesdropping on other people's conversations (even though they are aware of it) and you're window shopping on their lives.

But are you participating? Are you making true friends? Have you ever felt awkward when you've run into a Facebook friend in real life and you realized that you didn't really know them that well?

And never mind cyber bullying. That's an entire chapter in itself.

What about the jealousy that pops up when you see that a friend is doing something or getting something that you really want? Did it ever occur to you that most people just write about the good things that happen in their lives? That Facebook and MySpace is often a place where people present only the very best?

After all, who ever posts that their life sucks and that they can't get a date and they feel fat and ugly and all alone?

What about just going outside and playing with your friends down the street?

When you're tempted to live and breathe social media, say out loud, based on Proverbs 27:17:

"I will keep friendships at the forefront because..iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another."