5 Signs You Might Be Spending Too Much Time with Social Media

(Disclaimer: I have no understanding as regards the topic I'm writing about?) Oh sure, I'm in charge of a ministry blog, a couple of Twitter sites (@aheartforgod and @aheart4god) and a Facebook page (HERE) (not counting my work). And, of course, I don't have to hardly do anything and readers, followers and friends just automatically appear like magic~thousands and thousands of them. Doesn't it work that way for you? All kidding aside, if you want to enjoy the many benefits of social media it necessarily requires a reasonable investment of time and energy, thought and engagement. Right? And like anything else, if you're not careful you can begin spending too much time and energy, thought and engagement with social media. (Naaawww?) It's our natural tendency as humans. And so where's the point that enough's enough and by passing it you're going overboard? How does a person determine that he/she maybe needs to take a break, step back and "smell the roses"? Well, to help you consider your own life and whether or not you're out of balance in this area, here are...

5 signs you might be spending too much time with social media: (what would you add?)

Sign #1: You're up at 3 a.m. pacific time usa for an early start on #followfriday and to see how many shout outs/mentions you're getting. (You really couldn't sleep. At least that's what you tell your wife.)

Sign #2: You're wondering if it was something you said and that's why people unfollowed/unfriended you. (Are "unfollow" and "unfriend" words?)

Sign #3: For some unknown reason your twitter account got suspended and you feel like a close acquaintance or loved one just died.

Sign #4: Reading timelines and/or tweeting have made you late for an appointment (dinner, work, doctor, etc.) more than once.

Sign #5: It's 3 a.m. again (well going on 4:00 now) and you're finishing a post on spending too much time with social media.

10 Reasons Why a Break from Twitter is for You

It's been about 2 months now since @tweetfast was put in motion (by sister @HeatherWilson). If you have yet to hear about it, @tweetfast is the twitter site calling on believers worldwide to fast for 24 hours, not from food, but from their tweeting fascination. It's scheduled to take place on Good Friday, April 10. (Could there be a more appropriate date?) And I must say I'm really quite surprised to this point that @tweetfast hasn't caught fire more than it has. With so many Christians tweeting I thought it would be a no-brainer to join in putting twitter on hold. But maybe it's just another sign that we really do need to take a break? To this end I've come up with 10 reasons why a break from twitter is for you. May it serve as a gentle nudge towards Christ and away from the world - maybe for more than one of you? Be blessed. (Note: Scripture references are clickable links.)

10 reasons why a break from twitter is for you...

#10: Good Friday commemorates Christ's death on the cross for your sins. (Luke 23:46)

#9: You haven't really read your Bible very much recently. (Psalm 119:105)

#8: You have a situation in your life where only an extended time focusing on God is going to make an impact for change. (Matthew 17:21)

#7: God Himself is personally calling you to do it. (Song of Solomon 2:10)

#6: You haven't spent much time with your Lord at all compared to your tweeting. (Isaiah 40:31)

#5: You will be uniting with fellow Christians to which God always responds in power and revelation. (Acts 4:31)

#4: Family has been taking a backseat to online relationship-building and promotion. (Ephesians 5:22, 25; Psalm 127:3)

#3: Twitter (social media for that matter) has become an idol in your life. (1 John 5:21)

#2: You have been in a backslidden state and need to return to God. (John 6:37)

#1: You love and adore Jesus with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. (Mark 12:30)

Join @tweetfast. He is worthy.

You might be a tweet-a-holic if...

So you're a part of the online community called twitter. Hmm? Yeah? And you're finally getting pretty good at tweeting and replies and DM's and making url's tiny, etc. Right? But now there's something else that's happened that you weren't really expecting - and you didn't even know the potential existed that this could happen to you, quite frankly. And the truth is you've never been one given to addictions (like some other people you know) except now it's you that's gotten hooked. It's you! And you're addicted to/can't live without twitter. (Is there a 12-step program somewhere to help?) And you just might be a tweet-a-holic if...

#1: your last intimate conversation with your husband/wife was about your latest tweet.

#2: you're referring to/thinking of people by their tweet names instead of their real names.

#3: you're thinking about your next tweet(s) while you're jogging/exercising.

#4: you're writing down future tweets during a seminar at work.

#5: you're neglecting other important duties because you're tweeting so much.

#6: your emails are now done in tweet format (140 characters or less, lower case, etc.).

#7: you're very concerned with how many are following you versus how many are following somebody else.

#8: you get semi-depressed when someone unfollows you or when no one replies to your short, pithy tweet/saying.

#9: you are elated/your ego gets a boost when someone with more followers follows you first.

#10: the thought of going without twitter for even just one single, solitary day (check out @tweetfast) causes you to go into a withdrawal ("please, when/where can I get my next twitter fix?").

#11: you've become a twitter evangelist - everyone you know you introduce them to twitter/tweeting.

#12: the bulk of your conversations when you're not on twitter are about: _________ (fill in the blank). (Three choices: a. twitter; b. twitter; c. twitter).

So what do you think?...have anymore "you might be a tweet-a-holic if's" to contribute?...send them my way...I might add to post?...oops There I go again showing signs of my own addiction?! ;)