“The fantastic advances in the field of electronic communication constitute a greater danger to the privacy of the individual.” – Earl Warren (14th United States and 30th Chief Justice of the Governor of California. 1891-1974)

If only Mr. Warren knew then what has come to be true now. Those advances in “electronic communication” have propelled our society into a world that was unfathomable 50 years ago, even 10 years ago. Technology has changed how we communicate with one another and how we project ourselves to everyone around us. The media in all its forms often debate the underbelly of the Internet; cyber-bullying, over-sharing personal information and blatant disregard for privacy. But can social media actually enrich our lives?

My short and long answer is both an emphatic “YES”. Social media can be reflective, positive, informative, balanced, compassionate, vulnerable, empathetic, funny, witty, sweet and insightful all at once. It can be the gateway to family members you haven’t spoke to in person for years. It can be the connection to friends from all aspects of your life; from kindergarten to junior high to college and beyond. It can be the place where you can share content that resonates with you, or share stories in the news that inform you. It can give you access to your friends’ lives, their families, their homes, their kids, their cats, and their cars. Prior to 2004, you’d never have access to any of that unless these same friends lived up the street and around the corner.

I’m one of those people who “over-shares” content on Facebook and Twitter. I’ve been told my life sometimes reads like a sitcom online. With a busy freelance career and five kids under the age of 13, I have plenty to post. Sometimes it’s silly, mundane things like what kid broke what appliance (it’s actually the same kid who does all the damage but that’s another story altogether). Other times, it’s to promote something related to my work. But most times, I post what’s in my heart and mind in any given moment.

My entire life I’ve been guilty of behaving like an open book, sharing everything with whoever would listen. My parents have long since passed away, and I don’t have a large, close- knit family circle that talks and sees each other every day. Social media sharing was meant for someone like me, who needed to feel some sort of connection to the outside world, especially when my inner world is so small and closed off. I started blogging about my son’s life-threatening food allergies years ago because I felt alone in my struggles. At that time I knew no one else who had a child with this serious medical condition. I was talking to a wall whenever I tried to discuss how hard and isolating the food allergy world was. So I took my feelings online and created a website that eventually attracted thousands of visitors and opened the door to book deals. My accidental career as a cookbook author came solely because of my need to rant about these things to someone, even if it was a blank computer screen.

For years, I “over-shared” on Facebook about how much I despised the oppressive and unrelenting Chicago winters. I lived my entire life in the Midwest, with the exception of one sunny year in Arizona and four months in an equally-as-sunny Israel. I was notoriously moody and grumpy from January through March. My friends avoided me then because they knew there was no way to help a girl who suffered terribly from Seasonal Affective Disorder, and still continued to live in one of the most un-sunny places on earth. When I got my first book deal, I was struck with the notion that maybe my other dream of moving out west with my family might be possible too.

So I put my house on the market not once, not twice, but three times over the course of a couple years. The market was in terrible condition, I had my fifth baby, wrote another book and my life was full of one crazy story after another. I posted daily about my struggles of trying to sell my house, find a house across the country, get my five kids to that new house as well as acclimated in brand new schools in a new region of the country. Moving to Orange County from Chicago was certainly more of a culture shock for them than I anticipated. I posted my struggles and triumphs along the way, and gained courage from my friends’ positive comments from all over the country.

It was an extraordinary time then, moving my family of seven across the country to live in the “world’s best climate”. At times the process was lonely, heartbreaking and sad. Sharing those tough times online, and being transparent online not only helped me get through it, but also helped others who were reading and following along. I had at least three friends privately share with me how watching me go through those trials and tribulations gave them hope and perspective, and helped them follow their dormant dreams too.

I still continue to over-share and post about my life. Some days I regret the fact that I am an apologetically open person, and have often almost pulled the trigger on shutting down my accounts. But most days I am happy to share my life with others if they care to read about it. Social media can be a dangerously personal thing that leaves you exposed to the world. But for me, I believe we are all vulnerable creatures, needing and desiring to be heard and to feel connected to each other. And for me, social media, when used responsibly, is an incredible way to share experiences and learn from them.

Posted on 12/17/2013

Written by Kelly Rudnicki

Kelly Rudnicki is the author of The Food Allergy Mama’s Easy, Fast Family Meals, The Food Allergy Mama’s Baking Book and Vegan Baking Classics. She is also the founder of the award-winning blog www.foodallergymama.com, a freelance writer and an advocate for food allergy safety in schools nationwide. She ives in Southern California with her husband and five children.

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