A Life Without Facebook

Yes, I’m one of those people.  One of those people totally addicted and enamored with the social revolution that is Facebook.  Every morning, before I even got out of bed, I would check (in this order) my corporate email, Facebook, and my personal Gmail.  Whoa – talk about a (good?) way to start the day!

I had a heart-to-heart with/from some members of the creative writing group I belong to at the college, and it was through this discussion that I determined now – the week before finals and before the new set of NY’s resolutions – that I would take a temporary leave from Facebook.

COLD TURKEY.

OMG, I know.

If you know me, I constantly “check in,” post photos, share links, and post statuses.  I can’t tell you the number of times I reached for my phone or the app before realizing that I didn’t need to.  It’s actually been somewhat refreshing, although it has been difficult.  I didn’t realize just how often I would conjure up captions and statuses immediately after doing something with the intention of posting them on the social media site.  At what point did Facebook essentially “take over” my life?

So, the natural question is, why did I make this choice?  Regarding that previously-mentioned heart-to-heart and realization, I decided that I needed to take some time off to evaluate what I was sharing (do people really need to know every aspect of my daily life?), why I was sharing what I was sharing (was it selfish self-promotion or insecurity?  affirmation or proselytization?), and just how much freaking time I was spending doing this mostly-mindless activity instead of doing other, more productive things with my limited time on this earth.  With the impending new year coming and finals week starting Monday, I thought now was the best time to do some reflecting and catch up on processing photos (one lady has been waiting almost two years for photos from our first trip to Europe!), posting reviews to TripAdvisor, and making my living space more organized and less cluttered.

I still haven’t decided how long I will go without Facebook, but this is the longest of my “temporary deactivations” (as FB calls them) has lasted, and I think it will be a test of my will to see how long I can go.

So, let me ask these question…  Do you feel sucked in by Facebook?  Do you think social media has changed your relationships for the positive or the negative?  What amount of sharing do you think is “normal” or “healthy”?

Positive vs. Negative

Within the last week, someone basically called me an idiot on Facebook, and suffice it to say I pretty much went on the defensive, unfriending this person (which, if I’m being totally honest with myself, was a long time coming) and posting all sorts of sassy (read: bitchy) pictures and statuses.  However, thinking back on it, I’d probably do the same thing again, but it got me reflecting:

You know, every once in a while, like earlier this week or last week (I don’t even remember now), I get in a really negative mood and then put that back out into the world. Putting positive things out into the world is so much more fulfilling. 🙂

And on that note, I am aiming to have a positive rest of my week and life!

P.S. If, however, you are in the market for some sassy/funny/FANTASTIC photos and graphics, here’s the link to the best of them: http://www.someecards.com/.  Enjoy!