I'm going to do something radical. At least I think it's radical. I'm going to delete my Facebook page. I don't mean just leave temporarily, which you can do. I mean permanently delete it. No more posting selfies, or pics of me and my hubs; no more posts of my adorable orange tabby Cheeto; no more quizzes, no more stalking friends....or foes. No more "staying connected". If you're still reading this you may wonder why I'm doing this and why it's such a big deal.
I've considered dropping off of FB for a long time now and I have a laundry list of reasons. My first and foremost reason is because I'm absolutely terrified to do it. Stop for a minute and think about that. I'm afraid to not be on a social media site - that I might miss something or lose friends or not stay in touch with people. That enough is reason alone for me. Facebook has become an addiction. Currently I look at Facebook no less than eight to ten times per day and that is way too much. At this point it's like Cheetos - I can't have them in the house because I will eat them. Same with Facebook - if I'm going to break my addiction, it has to be out of my reach.
Another reason is that if I'm being brutally honest the people that I feel are really "in" my life right now are not communicating with me solely through Facebook. I actually TALK to these people....on the phone or in person. Even though I'm going to piss a bunch of people off by saying this, the effort it takes to pick up the phone or meet for a coffee means so much more to me than if a person 'likes' my Facebook post or picture or story. EVERYONE is busy. No one is immune from the hectic pace of life but it's a sad day when we can't carve out 10 minutes to pick up the phone. I bet most people spend more than 10 minutes on Facebook each day. I know I do. That time and effort could be so much better spent calling a friend....even if I only get their voicemail. I want the majority of my social interactions to not come from behind a computer screen. That puts me on the hook to put more effort into my relationships and that's not a bad thing.
The really big reason though is that Facebook just makes me very sad. I suffer with depression and low level bi-polar disorder and I firmly believe that Facebook exacerbates that. Yes, I get envious when I see pictures of people taking amazing trips; of my friends back home hanging out and having a blast without me. I cannot stand the constant barrage of threads on animal abuse, child abuse, politics, religion, murders. It's like having the news on 24/7. Yes, these things are important and Facebook has helped to raise money, awareness, find children and pets. Yes, I can take steps to block this stuff from my newsfeed and I have. But it's only a stopgap. It never works for very long and I'm at a point where my mental and spiritual state needs some nurturing and Facebook just does not fit in with this plan.
I'm not judging anyone on FB, to each his own. I want to see how I'm affected by unplugging from the world's largest platform for one year. I'm hoping that I will find deeper connections with people rather than feel disconnected; that my overall mood and demeanor will improve; that I will use the probably thirty plus minutes a day I spent on FB to do something that brings me more satisfaction - or to clean the house! I will update the blog with my progress and/or withdrawl. In the meantime if you need to contact me, shoot me a text, email or pick up the phone. I will do the same.
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