So, I'm into day 11 of my Facebook Free February (note - chose the shortest month...) and while day one and two were difficult and I had to fight the habit of pushing that Favorite on the task bar, I no longer notice that I even had it. I'm fine, really, please do not send any more "Get Well" cards.
My reason for taking a break -which coincided nicely with two recent studies that show most people 1) Do take a break from it occasionally, and 2) That Facebook makes you sad (or sadder...). I did not see these before I had decided to take a break, but they were actually noticed BECAUSE I was taking a break and was surfing other waves of the InterWeb. Ironic, I know. But I digress, as I was saying, my reason was to find out what I would do if I were not logging onto Facebook some 40+ times per day (I took data before the break, data of 40+ led to decision to take a break :) Like the two studies show: Facebook is a lifestyle choice, like wearing Crocs or raping sheep; it is nice to have contact with people that I consider family, old friends from high school, undergrad and grad school and the neighborhoods that I/We have lived in. It is cool to see what people are up to - but then the sadness part; I've done a lot of things in my life; I've run retail stores, cleaned floors and picked up mail for Post Offices, Owned a business, been a property manager, a district teaching coach, a warehouse manager, a tea buyer, a writer, as well as other jobs. I've had a pretty full social life, had all the material things I've ever wanted and traveled most of the US and some of the rest of the world. I have a perfect home life with a terrific wife and wonderful kid. I've never wanted for much and never truly suffered. What I'm saying is, that Wow, do I ever have it good!
But then Facebook: I have a High School friend that has accomplished so much since high school that his professional life is so astoundingly adventurous that it would make most anybody feel inadequate and ineffective at this thing called life. He lives a civilized life in the UK, works all over the world for NATO and fights crime at all levels for a living. I think he may really be a "spy". He is muscular and fit, has a beautiful, exotic wife and good looking kids and travels the world knocking out the bad guys and doing the wet work. Really, he does! He has a PhD. He is an executive officer in the armed forces - sometimes - and he has pictures of himself with Congressmen, Presidents and foreign diplomats. He has photo proof that he is changing the world and being appreciated for it. He is like Jason Bourne of the Roy High Class of 1989. And I... am not.
I have another friend that in the last 5 years kind of cast off everything in her life and became a nomad of sorts, she travels the world surfing, skiing and studying the sustainability of food sources all over the world. Winters skiing in Alaska, Summers in Fiji or Mexico. No home, no cell phone, and updates her Facebook page from Internet cafes in third world countries. The inner seeker. Wanderer and experiencer of all walks of life both inside and out.
And I...am not.
I pick these two for a reason- I have about 250 "friends" on Facebook, but I think that these twp represent my overall point; I think that is where the truth in the "Facebook makes you sad" study is- Before Facebook, a person only had to compare themselves to their friends and past friends at occasional get togethers and class reunions. Now, with social networking, every day is a class reunion, in my case, more than 40 times a day!
It is not only difficult to measure our lives to our friends and almost-friends, it is impossible to measure to all of them in every aspect. I bet that my international man of mystery Facebook friend has friends that make him conscious of the fact that he is not a wanderer and anonymous hippie sometimes going where life takes him, and I bet that my wayfaring female Facebook friend has an occasional daydream where she wants to climb another rung on the career ladder and make more of an impact on the world.
It is human nature, and we are all doing okay, as long as we recognize that. Taking a FaceBreak was one way to remind myself of that fact.
The results by Day 11: First, that I've probably logged on to the Book of Faces 5 or more times. This is not because I missed it so, It is because there are a dozenteen sites that just take it upon themselves to just whisk you off and there you are - Facebooking! I never noticed this before. And I didn't even hit the "like" button on any of them, I just suddenly found myself on Facebook. Odd. The first time it happened, I just started absently scrolling through posts like I never tried to quit until my conscious kicked in.
Next, I do miss the FB as a springboard - all of those posts, pics and memes that come from places that I used to jump to in order to amuse myself all day; while I learned a lot, it was a tremendous waste of time. Now when I have extra time - I have nothing to do so I miss those humorous/political/amusing places you all used to direct me to. At least I still have Reddit.
Finally for now, productivity; While I am trying out this writing career thing, as expected, I find that my creative output have increased a lot as far as pages written per day. I think that the quality is better, too. I have no idea what is going on in the world beyond what CNN.com tells me, but that, too seemed to be interference to what a bored and unoccupied brain can come up with.
I like it here, but stay tuned if I think that my brain wants to live in this state, or not.
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