If the Internet Never Existed…

“Is social media even worth it these days?” 

The question came during a conversation at a recent homestead event.

Naturally, I replied with a very helpful, “Eh… well… it depends.”

Probably not the answer you’d expect from someone who has made a living online for the last 10+ years.

But I’m wrestling with the Internet lately.

The online world feels different these days. Maybe you’ve felt it too?

People are especially volatile. The most innocuous statements are taken as direct attacks. Sometimes if feels as if folks are trying to take words out of context.

For the first time ever in my online career, I’ve deleted entire posts and turned off comments (and then people yell at me for that, too). It’s exhausting.

I’ll admit that sometimes I fantasize about unplugging.

Sometimes I feel a little jealous of people who’ve left it all behind.

Sometimes (a lot, actually) I debate the risks and rewards of the internet age.

And of course, I love to throw rocks at all-things-tech.

But it’d be disingenuous for me to omit the rest of the story… because without the internet:

I wouldn’t have started eating whole foods.

I wouldn’t have bought a grain mill.

I wouldn’t have found the book that prompted me to get a milk cow.

I wouldn’t have figured out why my tomatoes were dying.

I wouldn’t have started the blog that changed my life.

I wouldn’t have connected with incredible people who’ve become real life friends.

I wouldn’t have learned about cover crops, how to use whole grains in sourdough, how to ferment cabbage, can chicken, cure bacon, or the countless other old-fashioned skills I’ve (ironically) learned via a screen.

Each of these personal revelations were directly related to information I found online.

When we started our homestead I didn’t have local mentors or family members who could teach me the old-fashioned skills I craved. I found a little info in books (I do LOVE books) it’s much harder to find the right books without Google.

It’s fascinating that an insanely high-tech tool has done more to further old-fashioned lifestyles than potentially anything else.

The irony is not lost on me.

I don’t have any grand calls to action today. No rallying cry to abandon all tech, and no grand proclamations.

I’m thankful for the internet.

I’m also keenly aware of its dangers and draws.

I’m honored I get to connect with so many of you as we chase this old-fashioned life together.

And I also know it’s important that I regularly leave my phone behind so I can head to the mountains, sit on a big rock, and think in solitude.

Once again, I find myself choosing both/and instead of either/or… sitting in the grey, soaking in the nuance, and considering both sides.

So next week, I’m going to unplug and sink deep into the annual horsemanship clinic we host here on the homestead. I’ll be riding and roping and working cattle and don’t plan to crack open my laptop a single time.

Balance, baby. 😉

Living in the Grey,

-Jill