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| Photo from: http://www.spiritualitypostures.blogspot.com |
Today I was caught up in my usual daily
routine of scanning through my facebook news feed. After witnessing a troubling
series of events on facebook, followed by a very full day of simultaneous work and self contemplation, I came to the following conclusion......
I usually write and live a lifestyle on
how to be a spiritual warrior in daily life. This means living in
full authenticity in every moment. It's a tall order. I strongly feel
that no matter how much yoga/meditation/self-reflection/prayer we do on a
daily basis, it really is of no use if we cannot incorporate it into our daily lives. Controversial topics discussed on social media like
Facebook tug on strings that have the potential to activate our
emotions. Events in our internet life and physical life shed light
for us to show the best and worst versions of ourselves. Then all of
a sudden it is personal. When it is personal then we create beliefs,
strong beliefs. Beliefs aren't bad necessarily, they just are.
However, when we create beliefs we also create division. When we
create division we then birth duality within ourselves and others.
The mission of many people on most spiritual paths is to master the
world of duality. Sometimes we notice these patterns right away and
sometimes we fail miserably. I am not excluded from this cycle
whatsoever. My question is, how can we stay true to our identity when
we so often have these dual identities through social media? I think
our personal lives are so intertwined with our lives of the internet,
it's becoming more difficult to decipher when one ends and the other
begins.
A Time When Life Was Simple
I recently came across a two part
series TED radio (via npr.org) about this same subject matter. The
episodes are called, “Screen Time Part 1” and “Screen Time Part 2”. After listening to the two hours of content I was quite
inspired about what technology has done for us globally and
individually. I was excited to think that I am part of a generation
that knows what life was like growing up in an age before cell phones
and internet. The Oregon Trail, Mario Bros., and Duck Hunt on blurry screens was
the closest thing to technology/entertainment. Otherwise my screen
time was limited to watching the series of family friendly tv shows
called TGIF on the ABC network or Saturday morning cartoons. As an
adult, it's difficult to separate myself from technology and I'm
ashamed of it. Generations after me will not be able to
conceptualize a life without unlimited access to ipads, cell phones, and internet. After
receiving this epiphany, I was also terrified. In one of the episodes
a topic on managing our dual lives (of internet and physical form)
were presented. Then I realized the power of word is incredible, yet we continuously
misuse it and take it for granted, even for those living a spiritual
life. The internet is a wonderful tool of expression, yet it gives us
a power to express ourselves in a way we normally wouldn't face to
face. We rant and complain, yet share our deepest and most vulnerable
experiences of growth through social media like Facebook. Social
media in many ways helps us feel accepted and loved in a lonely
world. It gives us the connection we desire when we feel disconnected
from ourselves or the ones we care for whether we know them
intimately or not. If we don't like what someone says then we simply
change our privacy settings.
Would Your Grandmother Want to See Your Next Post?
Not so long ago I was at a crossroads
of deciding how I was going to fully merge my spiritual life with my
work life via the world of technology. Would I be ok knowing that present and future employers
would most likely google my name and find this information easily?
Well they did, but I was also completely open and honest about my
passions for yoga and healing beforehand. As a result my employers
have embraced my gifts and I am actively merging those worlds. This
only could happen if I was in alignment with my identity. The same
would happen if they saw my facebook posts. The question is would you
want your boss, neighbor, grandmother, or child to see all the posts
you put on facebook? How often do we unconsciously 'like' or share a
post without seeing the full content? I think of how so many of our
young ones/teens have unlimited access to facebook without
supervision. I hate to see a child/teen of any age witness more
violence in the world through pictures of rape, war, slavery, and any
other form of inhumanity. It's not a matter of protecting our
children or even ourselves from this negative energy, because we see
it all the time! If you are sensitive, you probably can feel it as well without even needing to see these images. I'm not saying social media should only be used to
post pictures of kittens, unicorns, fairies, and lolly-pops. The darkness of
the world needs to be shared, but consciously. However, it needs to
be done so with the strength of warrior. Encompassed in that strength
is the grace of our word, sensitivity to others, and action without
reactivity. It is a fact that not everyone will like what we share
on the internet. It is our choice in how we respond, though. As a
result we find ourselves in the difficult situation of choosing to
tip-toe around what is ok to post on facebook or throwing caution to
the wind. On another note, does it even matter?
Pope Francis even
declared to Congress the other day the dire need for us to respect
our differences and live in unity. So why can't we start on Facebook?
Perhaps we can bless others, no matter how hurtful others
are in their response to our rightful expression of our opinions.
Often the lack of communication that occurs between one another is a
lack of understanding. We get so caught up in proving that our belief
is the right one, we fail to recognize the consequences of how it may
hurt others. After all, it is just a facebook post. In the end this
is a human matter! Social media is becoming an intertwined
blessing and curse. Think of the most intimate moment of your life
and ask yourself if you would want it to be shared with
hundreds/thousands of others? Of course it is everyone's right to
choose that. What if someone had PTSD and saw your post? What if that
person is homebound with little personal/physical social support and that
trauma got re-activated by seeing your post? Would you actually go out on the streets and support/protest the cause? Are you posting to feel more accepted/heard or can you call/physically meet with a friend instead? These are mere examples
of how internet can create connection and separation if we are not
more conscious of our dual internet lives. It's incredibly important
to educate the public on the reality of life and controversial subjects. When has it gone
too far and how can we as a collective whole be more aware of it, though? Before we submit our next facebook picture or post, let us ask ourselves what is the true intention for the post in the first place.
Finding a Better Way to Shed Light on the Darkness
Sat Nam.
