As we cruise (or limp?) into the winter vacation, I’d like you to take a moment to think about the people in your social media feeds like Facebook or Twitter or Instagram. Many of us have connections with friends and family that would have been impossible to maintain before the information age. I have friendships from high school and college in my Facebook list that I never would have been able to maintain if I had to actually write and mail them letters. 

We take our social media for granted (and often complain about how it’s ruining society) but we often forget that there are enormous benefits that we don’t appreciate. Our recent graduates from the WHS Class of 2021 will never have to lose touch if they don’t want to. 

On the other hand, our social media connections are often casual and a little distant. I have college friends that post on Facebook frequently about their kids’ concerts, their recent vacation, a new recipe they tried…but I rarely actually reach out for a conversation.

So in the spirit of the season, my last 12 Days of Techmas tip for you this year is to put the "social" back in your social media: spend an hour on your social media during the vacation and just reconnect with some of those social media friends individually. Don't spend the time scrolling - spend the time reaching out.

Contact a friend or distant family member with a personal note. Send a nice “thinking of you” message. Share a photo of you and them from years ago. Retell a funny story. Reconnect.

For those of you who are introverted by inclination like me, I’ve even provided a helpful pack of conversation starters for you to post/tweet/share/DM/whatever to your friends. Feel free to use any of these (no charge!):

• “I just heard [a song they really liked] this morning and thought of you! How are you doing?”
• “I was planning our family vacation and it reminded me of that trip we took to [place you visited together]! How long ago was that, right?”
• “I was just thinking about how your mom used to [bake those great cookies/drive us to school/tell those funny jokes.] How is she doing?”

Or, even better:

• “Hi! I see you on Facebook all the time, but I haven’t actually seen you in person in a while! Want to go grab a cup of coffee sometime?”

Social media is changing the way we stay in touch with people, sometimes for better and sometimes for worse. So take a few minutes this vacation to emphasize the better. I promise, it will feel great and give you a much needed recharge!

Thanks for letting me fill your inbox this bright and warm December! Have a wonderful vacation and I'll see you all in the new year!
Tom