I decided to give up checking and browsing facebook for 40 days. Some friends of mine were discussing what they should give up for Lent when one of them jokingly said, "How about facebook?" We all laughed.
The general consensus amongst us was that giving up facebook would be impossible, because facebook is such a lifeline, and such an important connection to the rest of the world!
"How would I know what was going on everyday?"
"How would I connect with my friends everyday??"
"How would I be able to share my happy/sad/frustrating news everyday???"
Well, once upon a time we didn't have facebook, and once upon a time we were all still functional. So, I temporarily deleted my account, just to see. I have until April 18th until I allow myself back onto facebook.
I think everyone gets something different out of facebook. For me, fb is a way to hear news about people- a marriage, the birth of a baby, a move to a new place. And not only do I get to receive news, I get to share news. I can't even name all the blessings that have come from connecting with friends on fb. Oftentimes when I have needed help, or needed an answer to some quandary, the answer has come from a facebook friend.
When we had to hurry up and move to SLC, with nowhere to stay, it was a fb friend who offered her mother's basement for us to stay in. When my phone fell in the water and I needed a new one, it was a fb friend that replaced my phone. When we were looking for friends to kid swap with, so Micah and I could get dates, it was fb friends that we swapped with. (and it's still working out marvelously, by the way)
Sometimes I think even God even uses facebook......or else he answers our prayers through other facebook users. he he.
I'd also like to think we have helped other people as well, through the opportunities we've found via social networking site.
But, even with all the good things that have come from being a fb user,there is also this addiction that keeps me coming back, at times when I really don't want to. Like late at night when I want to read a good book, fb wins. Or in the morning when I want to make a delicious breakfast, fb wins again, and we eat toast. Sometimes I even use fb to ignore my responsibilities, or my whining kids, and that's no good. No good at all.
I have been spending more time than I want to on fb recently, and if I recall, that's one of the things on my happy list of things not to do.
So maybe I shouldn't give up facebook, maybe I should just practice some self-discipline!
But I want to. At least for right now. At least for Lent. I may not be Catholic but I know there is great merit in sacrifice, and with sacrifice comes new awareness and maybe even some purification of the soul.
Also, giving up facebook for 40 days is a challenge for me, and sometimes it's good to challenge yourself. (As if life isn't challenging enough. ha ha) But, I'd like to see how strong I am with this one.
Lastly, I've been getting this strong feeling that there's other really important things I need to do right now, and maybe I wouldn't be aware of them or open to them if I was spending my free time on FB. (which is only like 20 minutes a day, but I don't really have 20 minutes a day to browse the web!)
Wow-April 18th seems so far away. I can do this!
