Each morning I log onto my computer, dive into Habitica and check in with my favorite blogs and my email. It isn’t glamorous, and there is no right or wrong way to use the good aspects of the internet, but here are some of mine.
HABITICA which is a gasified to-do planner. I track daily actions, habits and things I need to do there, and my little game character gains goodies for everything I manage in my regular life. I like it.
GMAIL: I use email to track favorite blogs, video blogs, and all sorts of things. Much of what comes in gets deleted without reading it. Some things I read every time they come. The trick is to touch each email only once, either read it then, or delete it then.
BLOGS: Fr. Z’s Blog is one I read daily. This blog talks about Catholic issues and social issues, and I learn about new Catholic groups from there all the time. Church Militant TV is another I check out daily(I subscribe). They have some of the best catechetical content for subscribers. They also talk about what nobody else is talking about but that is relevant. I read the comic, Day by Day, daily. Started reading it years ago, and over time, the art has evolved and the story line has continued to reflect political events and current social issues of a more political nature. Very much a social commentary on our time. AND I have grown to love the characters. Finally, there are video blogs I watch, especially, The Freedom Theory and FifthWheelFeel. Both video blogs are well done and refreshingly upbeat. I’m encouraged by them and enjoy their adventures. Both are by young people who chose a unique path to happiness. I enjoy the blog Beyond Pearls although she blogs less often. Anachronistic and Impulsive is my favorite SCA oriented history blog. She delves as deeply into history as I do and even though I disagree with her on a few points, her work is solid and admirable. Surviving the Rainbow is a blog by women recovering from marriages to homosexuals. It is a sad blog but speaks from the heart about a group ignored by society because their reality doesn’t fit current ideology. An intermittent blog, I read whatever gets posted because no group should be ignored.
FACEBOOK can be a time vortex but I can check up on family and friends there and see what activities various groups I belong to are planning. My prayer group met on Facebook and stays in contact supporting each other’s spiritual life via Messenger.
Dear Lord, please help us to use social media responsibly, to connect, and increase our time together in person. +Amen.