How connected is too connected?

I do not have internet on my phone, but if I did I'm sure I would check my Facebook in the middle of a dinner date with my husband if I could. This would annoy him to no end, which I understand, but I have to admit, I am a little addicted to social networking.

I'm not alone, I know there are others out there more addicted to it than I am. This leads me to some questions. How connected is too connected? Do my friends truly need to know where I'm at, what I'm eating, and see a picture of it? My logical self says no, but my Facebook self says YES, post it, and then check your comments and likes every ten minutes thereafter.

It's fun seeing your friends, what they are doing and being able to "talk" to them without actually leaving to see them. It is especially nice for a stay at home mom like me, who sometimes gets stuck in the house with 3 sick kids and no adult to converse with until my husband gets home.

I know I use Facebook too much. I sometimes ignore the real world in favor of the computer world. The world where we can be whoever we want, say whatever we want, make our lives look perfect, or create drama with someone without seeing their face. It's not a good thing. My husband says it's a big platform for everyone to have a chance to post something stupid. I have to agree. I've said a few stupid things, read a few stupid things, and seen things I didn't need or want to see.

So where does it stop? I see people talking to others in a restaurant at the same table, while only half paying attention to real life because they are more caught up with internet life on their phone. It bugs me, yet it draws me and sucks me in.

I can't say that anything I've posted on Facebook has been real. It's more general or unnecessary information about my life posted in hopes my friends will like it and write a comment back to me. Not that I plan to stop using Facebook, but it is good to think about these things and rearrange our priorities in life.

I believe true relationships should be based on real things. Can anything be truly real on Facebook? Maybe, but I know the stuff I only want my true friends to know wouldn't be posted online.

This is what it comes down to...
I think maybe the problem is we're not too CONNECTED we're too DISconnected.

What do you think and how are we going to change it so we don't raise distracted and fake kids?