Facebook Freeze
I deactivated my Facebook recently. This has brought a large amount of shock and wonder to many of my real life friends. It has prompted questions like “why would you do a thing like that?” and “is it because of finals week?”
Well. Let me share with you some of what is on my mind.
I really enjoy my Facebook time. In fact, almost a bit too much. Overwhelmed with contacts that I never talk to and am too polite to delete, applications and statuses I don’t care about clutter my feed. Photo’s of events I never cared about in the first place piqued my interest. Hours of clicking links to friends pages, notes, pictures, or personal data left me exactly where I was hours before. Except with a little more brain clutter.
Facebook chat, initially intended as a good thing, can be challenging to deal with. Often I go on with the sole intention of talking to someone in order to pass the time – a function which AIM once served, and I no longer need in my life.
There is a world out there. With sunshine, and fresh air. With real people who one can talk to in person. I don’t need to connect to someone over the internet. I can show them prints of my pictures from break. I can tell them stories over the phone, or in person. I can make plans in other ways.
Yes, in the world today that may pose to be very challenging. I think it will help me learn who I really talk to and who is really important to me. I do not regularly talk to 875ish people.
This is not a complete list of why I deactivated it. Just some thoughts and reflections. There is a lot more to the story. But this is what is important.
Good for you =] I just check it one or two times a day, and I have found myself deleting people every week. It’s quite refreshing, and I don’t think ONE person has tried to re-add me which tells me one of two things: They didn’t even notice that I was the one who deleted them, OR They don’t care/know we aren’t good friends anyway.
I’m proud of you! Especially since just a week or two ago you were freaking out over Rhyen not having a facebook =p ((not freaking out, but you know))
I don’t think people actually care as much as you think they do, nor do I think this merited paragraphs and paragraphs if you think it’s such a waste of time. *shrug*
I think you bring up some valid points about the real v. the hyperreal, especially with regards to information inundation. I hope you find the piece of mind you’re looking for, but I also think absolutism can have some nasty side effects. Walk the middle path.
I understand. My thought is that I have left college – and you, a while ago, left high school – and the phone is not my way to keep in touch. I have no nice campus. No regular group with which to commune and discuss recent events. Facebook is that outlet and media for me that college no longer is.