So, me, myself, and my friend have decided to give up facebook for 40 days. Kinda like Lent except neither one of us is catholic….
We are going into day four and now I’m really understanding how much of a Facebook problem I had before I decided to give it up. To show this problem I decided to tally how many times the word facebook came up in my conversation, popped into my head, or when I came down with the desire to post something.
….I stopped counting when I hit 50 within an hour.
I used to go outside….all the time. Rain or snow….I used to read books, and go to movies, and hang out with my friends. I ran, I laughed, I got dirty and skinned my knees and had fun!
Now?
It’s too cold out, my friends are busy and trying to get a bunch of teenagers/early 20’s people together to play catch is impossible. The world got too busy on me as I got older…..hell…it wasn’t the world…I got too busy, and slowing down now I realize how pissed off the world is. Makes me sad, because I helped to make it that way.
On top of it all, I feel so out of the loop. I actually have to ask my friends how their days are going, what is new with them, and whatnot. Actual phone calls are placed, and full length texts are sent.
You know…all the things I did before facebook. I am ridiculous….this is ridiculous….and I am only on day 4. Ironically, this post will show up on my FB page because I have it set up that way. But I won’t be able to see any comments or shares of it.
I’m a pathetic human being. Within the 10 minutes it has taken me to get this far into this post I have had the desire to check my facebook 5 times. 5!!!
One would think that with all of this free time that I would have gotten any writing done. But no….because as I gave up facebook I came down with the plague. Well…in normal, non-melodramatic facebook withdrawals, I came down with a stomach virus and the common cold. So now I spend more time at home, trolling youtube and basically sniffling under my cocoon of blankets.
But I cooked my first meal in over 2 weeks yesterday, and today I opened an actual book, before I had to close it due to a sneezing fit, but it is a start.
36 days and counting.
Faith Taryn Davies 
I’m actually doing the same thing! I complete deactivated it though. I deleted tr mobile app. I realized how much less I use my phone now. But well I am Catholic and my purpose for deactivating is to get closer with god and it’s actually working. I am also now having much more time for other things. Great job for putting your self up to this challenge! You can do this!
Thanks for the encouragement. I don’t have a smart phone so I don’t have to delete much, and the only time I use my ipod is at work, which has no internet, so it saves me from that temptation. I just never really calculated how much time I spent on facebook until these last four days. I’m glad that others are doing this challenge, for whatever reason they are doing it for. I wish you all the luck with it!
I gave up FB entirely. I told people I was so tired of my “friends” ridiculous complaints, but basically it was making me more angry with the world, just reading the shallowness of most thoughts! You are right: it’s like there is an implant in your brain whispering Facebook….oh, I could share this on Facebook….oh, how would I describe this in a pithy way designed to make me look smart–on Facebook! Now, I just live life, no Facebook needed. Not to mention, Big Brother can’t watch you read a book.
I’m thinking about you! It’s good to limit these things once in a while. I always judge how well my life is going based on my electronic communication and how few or many “contacts” I make, but I forget that on some level, those aren’t real. Friendships thrive on more personal contact, which is so easy to ignore when I have facebook, twitter, texting, IM to let me keep the wall up between myself and others.
Hang in there, I think this is a great way to learn about yourself and deepen your relationship to yourself and to others. I can’t wait to see what you think on day 39!
I am so proud of you ! I knew the challenge would come in handy one day, I have given up on FB too, but that wasn’t one of the things that I said I was going to give up. I actually find myself a lot better for it, I got back into writing and talking to people on phone and via text and the occasional yahoo messenger. It’s quite a liberating feeling, keep on persevering I say 38 more days and counting. I’m actually loving it lol ♥