Posts Tagged ‘Facebook Hiatus’

So remember that Facebook Hiatus that I went on? I went off of the Hiatus and back on Facebook a few days ago. The 68-day ban came to a close. Rather than a hiatus, I felt the experience was more like a detox – much like when people go on spa vacations or yoga retreats. It was good to remember what life BF – before Facebook – was like.  The first few days were rather strange, but like all changes in life – whether it’s getting used to life without running water, lack of stable electricity or lack of Facebook, you get used to it after a while and life carries on. Over the 2-ish months, I did notice some positive aspect about the Facebook and also some great reasons to go on a detox once in a while.

Reasons to go on Detox

• If you need a bit of personal space from someone or from the extended social circle, but don’t want to take the dramatic route of cutting them out of your life, i.e., unfriending them, then taking a detox break is good to take a step back, gain some perspective, and save a lot of drama.
• If you are going through exams, or writing a dissertation/essay, and your classmates have a problem with posting every exam study habit or word count of their essay, and that either stresses you out, makes you want to punch someone, or both, then it’s good to step back until the period of high stress is over and people go back to post regular mundane life happenings.
• If you are spending all day playing Farmville and god knows what else on Facebook, or spending all of your time stalking people and not getting anything productive done, taking some time away is helpful to remember how you can survive life sans Facebook. I found that there are still plenty of other ways to procrastinate. Twitter was my big Facebook alternative. However, nothing is as mindless and easy to do as Facebook.

Realization during hiatus

• Your real friends will check in even when you randomly fall off the face of the earth, i.e., Facebook.
• You focus more on your immediate social circle when you aren’t connected to your extended social network. You are much more at present with what is going on in your physical life, rather than keeping in touch/lingering with a virtual life from the past.
• Your life will go on without Facebook. You may not remember people’s birthdays, but your life doesn’t crumble into nothingness when the plug is pulled between you and all you “friends” – in which 80% of them you don’t mind not seeing.

Realization post hiatus

• Facebook really is a good tool to connect people. I got back and my elementary class from Taiwan, circa 1998, has created a reunion group. I’ve reconnected with all these people whom I have only a vague memory. But so cool! My Taiwanese cousins and I are also now connected and they get a much better sense of what my life is like.
• There really are some people you are okay to never see again, and let’s be honest, we all have those people who are “friends” with us on Facebook. I took this chance to clean up that “friends list” a bit.
• Nothing terribly important actually happens on Facebook when you are away on detox.
• You remember how much you enjoy stalking people. It’s a guilty pleasure.
• You realize who from your past you really want to be in touch with, and you send them messages.

Facebook is a part of our society now whether you like it or not, much like oh… television or telephone. Like the two Ts, you have the option to not own one, but they definitely help you integrate into our modern society. I’m all for occasional detox sessions to find balance in life. But if you are still one of those “I’m too cool for social media”, then you are really missing out and in danger of being left behind – much like the elders who can’t use the Internet.  Like all things in life, in moderation is key.

PS – this cartoon describes perfect how I feel when people complain about new Facebook changes. EVERY single time a new change rolls out, people complain. Come on, how difficult is it to check a box? I know it’s annoying that Facebook don’t make it default, but you either deal with it or get off. People ALWAYS complain, then get used to it, then complain again. Don’t you see the pattern?

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I love these So you want to… videos on YouTube, and I just came across this one that is amazing: So you want to close your Facebook Account. I thought this is highly appropriate given my current Facebook Hiatus.

I’ve lost track of how many days it’s been, but I do know there is 41 days to go. I haven’t signed in bar from removing an ad on the Books For Cameroon page, but even then I resisted myself from checking updates. To be honest, it hasn’t been that hard, and I went pretty much cold turkey. It is possible, and actually quite an interesting experiment.

Enjoy the video, and perhaps you would also think about going on a Facebook Hiatus!

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I cranked out over 1,000 word today on an essay. Although I somehow don’t feel accomplished because I foolishly thought I could write all 3,000 words in one day. That was silly. I spent most of my days doing this, though there were some long lunch breaks. I got bored. Really, really bored. And then came the urge to want to know what my friends were up to, and… no Facebook. sadness.

But that was about all there is to report. I did not reach for the F key once during the first half of the day, but during the second half, I was so bored with this paper-writing, I craved access. Yet despite with few bouts of craving, it really hasn’t been that bad. I suppose just like anything else in life, you get used to it. I got used to living without running water. I can get used to living without facebook, albeit temporarily.

Now that I realized it’s really not that big of a deal to cut Facebook out of one’s life, I’ll cut back on the reporting. Perhaps once a week, I’ll check in to make sure I haven’t flaked out and went back into the dark side.

Have you ever tried to cut Facebook out of your life? What was your experience?

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Day 2. I reached for the F key much less today. Muscle memory is learning to not ready for that key when mind is bored. Progress. petit à petit. I feel less attached to that social network, and while it’s still rather bizarre, I am much more aware of other things that I could be doing. I realize that there are plenty of other things that one can procrastinate with. The news, Twitter, writing messages, stare out the window. I even revamped my online identity – put a new picture up, changed my twitter name to @wleerpcv and the like. However, none as fun as seeing what your friends are up to. There is something pretty genius about this Facebook. You gotta give them credit.

Now that I am consciously staying away from Facebook, I realize there are so many things in our lives that are so relied on this tool. I joined when it was purely a social thing, but now, it’s a legitimate marketing/communication tool. Yesterday, I said I got an email asking me to join a Peace Corps community, today, I clicked on various links that took me to Facebook. I had to self-restraint and hit that x button. Facebook is everywhere!

Also, people really got some time in their hands. I was looking for some images for this Facebook Hiatus writing, and there are so many funny cartoons that people have done. I’ll take this chance to show some. There are some funny stuff. Enjoy!

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So, first day without Facebook in 5+ years. It is… weird. Exacerbated by the fact that I stayed in my shoebox size room all day researching for a paper. As any college student know, Facebook is the perfect procrastination tool. You go on there to see what your friends are up to for a few minutes, and suddenly you don’t feel so alone. The last time I had no access to Facebook for an extended period of time was the first few months in Cameroon. But even then, I had crappy cellphone Internet connection that would allow me to have a few minutes of peek a day. Ironic that even in Peace Corps Africa, a time of my life when I thought I’d be most isolated, I was connected.

When I want to procrastinate, I sign onto gchat to see who is around, poke my head into Twitter. But my gchat list is limited and most people on Twitter I don’t personally know, making the stalking less interesting. Not to mention, the content that I could actually browse now require me to use my brain – articles and blog posts – not funny comments, photos, etc. A few times throughout the day, I actually caught myself opening a new tab in my browser and key in f, for facebook. I think this is what they call “muscle memory”. Strange.

On the upside, I was pretty productive today. And although I do feel considerably more alone, there is relatively low chance my emotions would be affected by anything I read today. That’s sort of nice. Sometimes, Facebook can make me feel like I’m standing alone on an island, waving my hands hoping someone would notice me. Let’s be honest, that “like” button serves this purpose.

And just as I’m about to say Facebook is designed simply to fuel our narcissistic souls, I get an email from Peace Corps St. Louis asking me to join their Facebook page. Suppose I’ll have to wait a few more weeks.

Until tomorrow…

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