Recently, I did something that will shock many of you. Some will choose to click your right hand corner X quicker than you ever have. Others will think I need some sort of evaluation or even, prayer....I deleted my facebook page. In one quick minute of conviction/annoyance, I hit those words, "deactivate my account." Impulsive? Perhaps. Unnecessary? Maybe. But, let me give you the why.
Lately, I have been thinking about how convictionless I can be at times. Knowing something is wrong, something is not of benefit, yet continuing to ignore that tug God put in my heart. Now, don't get me wrong, facebook is a great avenue to keep in touch with people whom you never get to see or talk to, but it can also have an uglier side.
You see, I started to find myself constantly checking my facebook. Always having to know what so and so posted on their status, check into the lives of people who were never really my friends, but now by some miraculous technological advance had become "facebook friends." Some of those people I know only requested my facebook friendship to see if I had hopefully gained weight or had some miserable life so they could relish in my misfortune. Oh, don't act like you don't know what I am talking about...we've all checked the mean girl in high school's profile to see if she got some just desserts.
Then, I found myself obsessed. Constantly checking statuses, adding statuses, posting to walls, messaging, and poking. Those on facebook who were real friends started getting a wall post instead of a phone call, a HAPPY BIRTHDAY message, instead of a card. My real human interaction hours slowly started to lessen.
So, in one foul swoop and click, I deleted it. Yes, deleted it. I am calling it my facebook fast. I want to see if life can be lived quite contently without the constant connection to about 100 of my not so closest friends and if I can start having real connections with the 117 who are my friends. Let's see where this journey takes me, shall we?
I'll keep you posted...albeit, not through a status update. Sorry, friends.
Here's to connecting....
Until next time,
-C.
PS before you start feeling too sorry for me, facebook allows you to "reactivate" your account simply by signing in again. So, there is hope that one day I'll return...or maybe I won't and will live just as full a life!
1 comment:
Hey Catherine,
Good for you! I just wrote an article about Internet addiction for a denominational magazine- it's not published yet, but as soon as it is, I'm going to post it to my Facebook account. :) I think it's great that you decided to give yourself limits, regardless of whether you decide to keep them or adjust them. You set a great example for the rest of us to simply THINK about how we're spending our time and what our social interactions have become. I know this is a hot button topic. Way to go for speaking up.
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