Journals and social media

Journaling and social media

Years ago I went to a weekend retreat at Golden Bell for a study in journaling.  Ok, I wanted to know more because I was not good at being dedicated to this form of notebook blogging.  It was a good seminar that lasted the weekend with the presenter giving us tips on successful journaling or life note taking.  He showed us a half a dozen journals he wrote in over the years and stated he had many more at home. 

Journaling was a method of accountability and reviewing spiritual growth.  And this is one way we can really track where are personally, with relations, our readings, and so much more.  Sometimes the information will be sparse and other times our notes could go on forever.  The journal is to be a honest reflection.  Journals can be private or they can be open.

With that information and a notebook and pen I started. And started. And started again.  The times I have kept good journals were when I was deployed or off on a TDY somewhere, but once I came home and got busy, the journal sat the shelf.  On occasion I realized I could use the notebook to take sermon notes. 

The blog, the web log, an electronic journal of sorts became a way of documenting our thoughts and lives.  Blogs could be private or shared.  People could read the goings on in our lives and we let folk into our circle.  In courses I taught I would encourage students to journal or blog some of the courses’ highlights.  This was before the learning management systems discussion boards.  Discussion boards and message boards are still being used to post ideas, notes, and pictures.  Pictures on blogs and boards added to our journaling potential.

Bang, the new social media launched with Facebook, Twitter, and now Instagram.  Here is where we could post our thoughts, ideas, opinions, pictures, and more.  This new way… I still have friends that will only post via email.  One friend and even a college president stated how they abhorred social media.  They did not want to see peoples’ dogs and cats, what they were eating, where they went on vacation.  If they wanted to see pictures of the sand dunes they would ask to see the photo album and hard prints. 

Journaling – I was thinking of that as I grabbed a notebook and started to jot some thoughts down.  But why not ramp up the blog?  Then I was looking over my Facebook, twitter, and Instagram.  Instagram is my photo journal, twitter are those short opines, and facebook with all the stuff we would have written in a blog but sharing with more family and friends. 

What are we journaling?  How are we journaling? Who do we want to read of what we write?