1/27/12

My Facebook Hiatus

Soon after Thanksgiving I pulled the plug on my Facebook account. I've maintained a digital presence on the site for something like 6 years, and while I flirted with the idea of deactivating it back in August, I didn't get the courage until a few months later. What's life like without Facebook? Simpler.

I have a tendancy to feel overwhelmed often, and Facebook has a tendency to eat away all or most of a person's free time. My productivity has climbed---I've written about 20 pages on the thesis (5 of which I scrapped and 15 will probably end up with the same fate) and have read several books both for pleasure and research. My grades have been posted quicker, and I'm racking up the miles on my new running shoes. Overall, my life just feels so much less cluttered. I'm not overstimulated with random tidbits of information, engaging in what can sometimes be mindless chatter. Facebook can sometimes be a healthy distraction, but an undisciplined sap like myself can find herself addicted. The one downfall is feeling out of the loop. Before, Facebook was really my way of communicating with colleagues and friends; even though email would be an adequate replacement, the mode seems more formal, and so I have lost touch with several people since breaking my digital dependency.

I don't know how long I'll maintain a Facebook-free life, but for now I'll enjoy this new-found simplicity...and I'll Tweet instead ;) (I had to throw in some snarkiness!)

3 comments:

Kristin said...

I miss you on facebook but I understand. I deleted my facebook for about 6 months a while ago because I realized that the people on there never called, never emailed or tried to engage in anyway with me other than facebook. Not exactly "friendships" if you ask me.

The Roberts said...

Good for you. I'd like to somedays, but with most my family living in Maine I feel more connected to them this way. I call and stuff too but share things and pictures easy with facebook. But I see how it drains your time.

Stu said...

Good luck on the Facebook-less-ness! I agree that online distractions like Facebook can soak up a disturbing fraction of one's time. Nonetheless, I keep my FB active if only to keep up with my extended family and prevent my mother from killing me. (she sometimes misses her grandkids and I can usually avoid accusatory phone calls from her by keeping recent pictures posted. :-) )

Extra running miles and thesis writing (even if all of it is destined to be re-written - a couple of times) are worthy substitutes to say the least.

Again; good luck!