Thursday, September 29, 2011

Facebook

In an attempt to cut down on my computer time, I've decided to ban myself from Facebook four days per week. I intend to cut my friends-list in half or more. When I originally signed up for Facebook, my plan was to "friend" only close family and a couple of friends. I was "hidden," and my list consisted of around 20-25 people for many months.

Then Facebook took away the option to be hidden. The recent changes on Facebook seem too overwhelming for me to figure out at this point in my life. Facebook wants to give us more reasons to interact on their site, and that's the exact opposite of what I want. Given that I've spent the last few years trying to curtail my attraction to goofing on the computer, this seems as good a time as any to back off in this one area. I'm not willing to axe the whole account (at least, not yet) because I want to see baby pictures and wedding pictures and reunion pictures, all of which are easy to share via Facebook.

If I believed in signs from God, I would say that He sent several this week confirming that this is a good plan. Please don't take it personally if I 'unfriend' you or fail to respond to FB messages. I'm just trying to spend more time with In-Real-Life interaction than electronic conversations.

Wish me luck.

5 comments:

  1. This is one reason why I have held out and not joined Facebook. Dh may need to join soon in order to keep up with church members, but since I'm a stay at home mom I have no intention of also joining. I have really nice friends that e-mail me photos when something important happens like baby photos. Since I've never done Facebook I can't even imagine needing to have a blog post like this! I function just fine using e-mail and a land line phone and Skype. And I would much rather spend my time with a good book than on Facebook. I have no problem with others doing Facebook, it's just not for me.

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  2. Good Plan Susan! I get all the electronic information I need via a couple of blogs I stalk and e-mail. Face to Face....not Face Book. That's what I think is the more desirable. Your "facebook friends" will love you no matter how often you are on!

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  3. Lisa, I don't think anyone will quit loving me if I'm not on FB very often. But the reality is that losing touch with people affects a relationship. So I go into this knowing that lessening interaction with friends will change our friendship. And I'm not happy with that. But this is the fifth week of school, so we're on the 9th & 10th commandments at church & the academy -- I keep wondering if I'm coveting those friendships that are long-distance, distracting me from the relationships which are right here.

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  4. Susan, good for you. I admire what you are trying to do. I haven't decided if I admire it enough to try it myself. ;-) I am definitely a Facebook addict but I don't know if I am ready to admit it and do something about it.

    And yes, you are right that when you don't keep in as close cyber contact with people the relationships are affected. I have had that happen not with Facebook with but with another networking tool that I pulled out of. Sometimes I still wonder what I am missing but I am at peace with it. I guess one reason I value FB is it is one way I do keep in touch with some of those same people. But FB is limited in the intimacy it offers. And the more I think about that the more I wonder how valuable it really is.

    Your post is inspiring me to do some thinking about my own FB time and to consider how I might better control it--make it a tool, as one of your links discusses--and not let it control me. Thank you.

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  5. And I would like to add that I and I'm sure many others appreciate your efforts to communicate what you are doing ahead of time in an effort to be sensitive to people's feelings. Your good manners and kindness will go far towards helping people understand. My guess is that this is going to be much harder on you than anyone else. *hugs*

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