...to stay off of Facebook for a whole month?!
A couple of weeks ago a friend of mine was back in town for a few days. One of the evenings that we met up, we got into a conversation about Facebook. My friend is very, very angry about Facebook, and part of me understands (the other part finds it pretty funny (sligggghhhtly immature of me, granted)).
It's the time wasted and the detrimental psychological effects that it can cause. In general, we put on the 'best' bits of our life on show (I did say 'in general') - the best pictures, posts about being happy etc, etc....so if you're having a low day and you go onto Facebook, you are bombarded with how wonderful everyone else's lives are, which of course is false. Not everybody is living the life of Reilly (well, except perhaps me - I'm perfect, my life is perfect, and things are still going really, really well with me and Gabriel Macht...we're blissfully happy).
Time wasted - oh I am guilty as charged I'm afraid!! It's ridiculous and probably would be quite scary if I added up the hours that I whittle away each week. As my friend put it "People should be out living their lives, not sitting in front of a computer or their phone, writing status's and uploading photos telling us what they are doing - they should be too busy doing what they say they are doing to be bloody well spending all that time on Facebook!"
I am not wholeheartedly against Facebook - and if truth be told, contrary to what comes out of his mouth, my friend is not totally against it either otherwise he wouldn't have a Facebook page!! ;) I personally think that it can be a great way to keep in touch - especially with friends who don't live close by (btw: I'd like brownie points for not allowing this to descend into a spiel about my abandonment issues due to friends moving away!) and it is also a GREAT stalking tool. You know for those days when you want to look up people from your past - yup, probably exes in the main, or worse...to check out the partners of your exes (I think I should clarify; I've only heard that this is what some people may do....no way am I writing from personal experience for that would be sad.......v.v.v.sad...) BUT...I do admit that I spend waaaaay toooo much time on it, even when it's no longer interesting. I feel that people aren't posting as much - perhaps they have come to the same conclusion as my friend, perhaps the novelty has worn off...OR perhaps I'm on there too much that when there's 'breaking news', I read it and that's me up to date and having to wait for the next posting by someone I may or may not have physically met up with in the past 20 years!
So back to the challenge. My friend challenged me to stay off Facebook for a whole month. I chose March. Stupid really, I should've chosen February - would have reduced the challenge by a whole 3 days!! Or April even, saving a whole day...but then again, my birthday is in April - if I'm not on there, how am I going to feel the love of my 400 closest friends???
He also told me that I'm not allowed to make an announcement that I'm coming off - silly, silly man...if you want me to do something then get me to agree to a challenge; if you want a guarantee that I'm pretty much not going to do something - then tell me to do it!! So of course I announced it. I wanted to, because quite frankly if I succeed I want acknowledgment (I'm needy like that - which is probably a large part of the reason why I like fb). Also, I keep in touch with a lot of people through Facebook, and if all of a sudden I disappear, they are going to think I'm rude and maybe after a while, worry about me. There are enough things in life to worry about other than needlessly worrying about me just because I didn't announce my month long exile.
So it's day 6. I have to admit that the first day was difficult. It was a Friday. During the week, I sit in front of my computer, so it is very easy to pop on and off of the site all day without really thinking about it. The weekend was easy. I don't sit in front of a computer, I'm out and about doing things so that I've got stuff to post on Facebook during the week!!! ;) and of course, I removed the app from my phone - no point making this any harder than it needs to be.
Of course come Monday I was back at work and sitting in front of my computer, but I have to say that it's been fine which I suspect has a lot to do with work being really busy - keeps me occupied. Having said that, I've taken time out of my day to talk about the challenge e.g. pushed the thought of Facebook to the forefront of my mind - so that might throw a wee spanner in the works!
25½ days to go....
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