I have written many blogs about how little social contact we have with each other anymore outside of social media and it go me to thinking about the word 'social' as it pertains to social media. Social by definition means people spending time talking to one another and participating in enjoyable activities with each other. While we are spending time communicating with each other on social media and participating digitally in activities, are we really being social?

Leslie and I have talked many times on the morning show about watching people in public places like restaurants where everyone at the table is on their smartphone doing whatever and NOBODY is communicating out loud with each other. The only 'glow' on someone's face anymore is the glow created by the bright screen of their mobile device.

Personally, it really bothers me, and I know some will say it shouldn't and I should pay more attention to my own situation and not everybody else's, but here's why it bothers me. It feels like people, young people especially, are losing the ability to effectively communicate face to face, one on one. I see this with my own children and quite frankly, it's a little scary.

People can stand up for themselves on social media sites just great, but not so much face to face in today's world. How many times have you been in a room with lots of people only to hear near complete silence except for the occasional 'ding' of a new message?

Don't get me wrong, I think social media is useful, fun and very interactive when like anything else, is used in moderation and not to excess. I think right now the needle is pointing to excessive where social media is concerned and in some cases the needle points to obsessive.

Social media is fine as long as we can keep it in perspective. I found the below video which makes that exact point better than anything else I have seen or heard. Anybody who uses social media should watch this occasionally for one simple reason....perspective, something we can never lose.

 

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