AS the clock counted down to Christmas late Wednesday night, I was going through my twitter feed and I was struck by how much social media has transformed the way the holidays feel.
Before smartphones and social media, the holidays were a time to disconnect from the currents of the world. As though by consensus, people’s focus shifted away from the hustle and bustle of living and onto the simplest joys of being alive and being surrounded by family and friends who, for once, didn’t have to go dashing off somewhere after the briefest of encounters. Well, at least it was that way for some people.
For others, the holidays weren’t so rosy. With people around them gravitating towards their own circles, the isolation of others tended to grow more pronounced than ever, leaving them islands adrift in a veritable sea of good cheer. Admittedly, there was a time when I was one of those islands, myself.
Whatever. The point is that the holidays used to give people the opportunity to essentially retreat into their own little worlds and to re-connect with the people who mattered most. And re-connection meant renewed friendships, amends made, and in some cases, the possibility of self-discovery. Not that the larger world ceased to exist; it just seemed to matter less.
Now, though, in the midst of all the reunions and parties, I see people checking their timelines and, mixed in with the greetings, there are updates about people losing their homes in fires, children being shot, dictators threatening reprisals for stupid movies. Every update reminding you that it’s actually just another night and that when the clock strikes twelve, it only means that the world has gotten one minute older.
Off hand, my instinct is to blame social media and the way it encroaches on our consciousness on a daily basis. But with a bit of reflection–and isn’t that what the holidays are supposed to encourage? I suspect that we ourselves are to blame.
Social media doesn’t force itself on us. It is simply a river that flows whether we pay attention to it or not. We can step in and out of it as we choose, either just getting our toes wet or submerging ourselves completely. And depending on which course we take, we can either allow the rest of the world to intrude on our holidays, or we can have this brief interlude which–whether we admit it or not–holds more potential benefit for us than harm.
But hey, Christmas is over, and as soon as the day after Christmas dawned, most of us have moved on and gotten back to the daily grind. It wasn’t a terrible Christmas, not really. But it was certainly one of the most pedestrian ever.
Having said that, I also have to clarify that I’m not advocating ditching social media during the holidays completely. Once in a while, in the flood of forwarded messages and canned greetings, a true gem surfaces and, by the sheer force of its cheerfulness, simply brings a genuine feeling of goodwill to all.
And the perfect example of that is this greeting I saw online, posted by one of my dearest college buddies.
“To All My Non-Religious Friends,” he writes, “Please accept with no obligation, implied or explicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all.
“I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2015, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have been significant. Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishee.
“To All My Other Friends: Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!”
Ditto.
James Jimenez is the spokesman of the Commission on Elections.