Imagine life offline. There was such a simpler time.
Cold Turkey
Recently, Jocelyn and I were offline for 16 days. Cold turkey. No social media. No emails. We were on a Panama Canal cruise, and the $34 CAN/day/device charge was a bit rich for our wallets. We were happy to unplug, withdrawal symptoms aside.
Back Online
We ended our online sabbatical once back home and in less than 18 hours I noticed a change. I was feeling upset. Sad. Angry. Anger at Russia’s unabated murder of Ukrainian civilians, especially children. Frustration over the way legal immigrants in North America were being treated by government authorities. Anger at evangelical support for Christian Nationalism in Canada. Online reeks of contagious anger. 
It hit me how much I had changed. For 16 days I hadn’t felt irritated, frustrated, angry, or sad.
How you found online to affect you in a similar way? I’d love to hear from you.
What To Do?
Stay off the internet? Turn a blind eye to what’s happening in the world? Isolate?
The reality is there is a cost to care.
I care deeply about the human condition. Being informed is vital. Emotional angst is a price to pay for engagement. So, I will stay engaged where I can make a difference. My daily online intake will be limited by time and content to reliable sources about Ukraine, justice issues, and Canadian issues (including the Blue Jays in the World Series).
I’ll work at being informed and keep working to make a godly, hope-filled difference in those areas.
My sources:
Ukraine through Ed Dickson, United24, and the Kyiv Independent.
justice issues through Joash Thomas and Heather Cox Richardson.
Canadian issues through Tim Schindel, and Chantal Hebert.
Please join the conversation and post a comment below about being online.
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