As the New Year approaches and I try to clean up my to-do list of all the not quite done stuff, I noticed that yesterday FB suddenly became more interesting.  People stopped reposting so much random crap and click-bait Instead they were generating their own content.  It was very pleasant and I think we need more of this.  To that end, my “NY Resolutions” will be to limit the amount of crap content sharing I do and to increase the amount of meaningful content I create.

I will thus make it my habit to:

A) Post at most five links to something someone else has created/posted/shared per week.

B) Refrain from any selfie taking unless said selfie is integral to a crafted post* (i.e. I will write a short description of why I am posting this image.  Is it a shot of Agent Smith and I riding on a tractor?  I will tell you why we’re on the tractor and include any other pertinent details.)

C) Vacation posts will be exempt from rule B, but that still doesn’t mean self-editing isn’t important. Thus only ONE picture of me holding a giant octopus/space alien/dangerously sharp instrument of torture/etc will be posted.

D) Make constructive updates: IE I will not post “I hate life and that Darth Vader Wannabe”.  I will instead include a short description of whats going on in life and thus avoid the whole passive/aggressive attention seeking ploy which is only resolved after 5 people comment/ask what is going on before I finally respond.  (Of course if I have been posting regular about job  interviews and one morning I make a short post that “I can hardly contain myself!” friends will understand, but that’s because context already exists.)

E) If I find humor or discover something thought provoking out there in that big expansive world, or if I myself create something humorous or thought provoking, I will share it and not expect any of my friends to comment and pat me on the back for my awesomeness.

F) Try to encourage friends to do the all of the above as well as let’s face it, the people I really enjoy connecting with on social media are the friends who do more than share boiled cabbage recipes, post the same funny videos that  five other friends just reposted, and take stupid “Which Harry Potter Broomstick are You” quizzes.  I, and I suspect many others, like reading about each other’s lives and trying to connect with far flung friends and acquaintances. So instead of bemoaning the death of hand written letters and the commodification of our personal lives, I will thus accept the state of things and technology in a constructive fashion.

* By crated I mean actually taking a few moments to formulate my thoughts so that any friend/contact reading said post will not have to ask for clarification.