I have always been a bit of a social butterfly. When I was little, I made new friends pretty much everywhere I went. I was never shy, and willing to strike up a conversation with anyone who would pay me mind. So, when the Internet gods (or Mark Zuckerberg) invented social media, I was practically first in line to sign up for an account.

Like many people my age, I started off with a MySpace, or a Xanga (remember that?), but eventually Facebook took over, and I was right in the mix with some of my oldest friends, and some new ones, too. Right around the time Facebook became popular, I was a stay-at-home mom to my infant son. Of course, I’ve had to explain to my now-14-year-old Michael that his dear mom is in fact older than Facebook, or Google, or even the iPhone (much to my chagrin, of course).

Like many social media users, I’ve seen the good and the bad. However, in times of social distancing and putting our health and wellness first, I, like many, have turned to Facebook and the like to get my friend fix. Now, not only is my social media account being used to keep in touch with long-distance relatives and people I care about, but I’m also using it to keep tabs on my local friends, too. And it’s been refreshing, in a way, to see that other families I know are going through the same struggles as we are (I feel like I’m constantly cooking and doing dishes at my house and I miss going out to eat).

Besides the “social” aspect of social media, it can also be a tool for information, news, and entertainment. It is also very, very powerful. Last week certainly proved that testament to be true, as a woman in Texas posted a photo of a class ring from Ruskin High School found on the playground of the daycare school where she works. Within just a few hours, the owner of the ring was found, all thanks to the power of social media. This just goes to prove how small our world truly is these days.

My friend Liz Ogle over at Grandview Parks and Rec is certainly no stranger to social media. She is the creator of the infamous Grandview and Martin City Business Rant and Rave page on Facebook, which has garnered over 6,000 active members since its inception a few years ago. Though, her activity just within the last week may have topped it all for her Facebook career.

Knowing that families were desperate for a way to celebrate the Easter holiday while maintaining social distancing guidelines and keeping everyone healthy, Liz decided to don a bunny costume, pose for some pictures, and then personalize signs (using Photoshop, naturally) for hundreds of community children. You can see an example of one she made for a little girl named Autumn on page 8.

This little community project she came up with turned out to be not-so-little. In a matter of days, her post reached nearly 4 million viewers, from here in Missouri and much, much farther beyond our state’s borders. I’m sure she had no idea how much her bunny suit would be seen, and how very needed that was for families all over the world right now.

That’s the power of social media. I suppose we never really know what people are going to like or respond to. Whether we use it to share our dinner ideas for the evening, or we want to reach thousands or millions of people with our content, social media is an avenue that continues to provide us with a little bit of connection in a time when disconnection is critical to our survival.

If you don’t already follow the Jackson County Advocate on Facebook, I’d invite you to give us a like. We appreciate all of our readers, whether online or in print, new or old school, and we thank you for your support. While social media can be powerful, we feel that knowledge is even more so. Keep on reading and supporting local journalism. We can’t do this without you.