A Meditation on Reckoning With Social Media
Guest Writer: Karen Dubert
As I reckon with social media.
I need mountains of wisdom—
and stacks of restraint.
Like toddlers with hunting knives and power tools
we play thoughtlessly
on deceptively simple cyber-technology.
Access to so much data—
Unknown chinks we create as we share—
with the illusion that by curating
words and pictures—we control the message:
oh tenuous, naive hope.
When I post something—anything
do I question my motivation—
the direction I am choosing—
self-deprecation, self-glorification
How well do I know myself?
When I read something—anything
do I interrogate my inclination—
the choices I’m making—
to compare or measure?
to judge or justify?
How is my soul faring
on what I choose for nourishment?
When I choose not to choose:
but merely scroll down, and down,
losing the gift of minutes and hours
to emerge weary and disgruntled—
Will I offer myself grace? to lean into
the will to grow into someone
whose perspective is strong and sound.
Compassion is my refuge.
Not for self-indulgence
or an excuse for false “self-care”
but for my inner being to be renewed
so it may reflect an outer grace
and share a smile,
not a reproach.
Karen Dubert. July 20, 2026 https://apoetinexile.substack.com/?utm_campaign=profile_chips
Joanna joannaseibert.com