what i learned from my facebook fast
i probably spend more time on facebook than the average user. part of this isn’t my fault - i live online and some of my client work requires me to maintain a presence on several social networking sites, including facebook. but it’s true that i had become disproportionately wrapped up in certain aspects of the beast that is facebook - namely the debates and arguments and commence via the platform (or that were sometimes commenced by me …) so here are a few things i learned over the course of the past six weeks or so:
1. i was wasting a lot of time. i didn’t FEEL like i was because a few minutes here, half an hour there doesn’t really seem like that much when you’re logging on for snippets at a time. but i guess i didn’t realize how much it all added up. without the drama of facebook to distract me, i was able to accomplish a variety of other things.
one of those things was starting this blog, beginning to build a readership, and aggregating my past blog entries from around the web. this is a much more constructive platform, i feel, than just posting on facebook - and people can visit it at their own risk. i feel that way about what i post on my facebook profile, too (i.e., you don’t HAVE to be my friend), but a blog provides more barriers to entry, which can be a bad thing, sure, but it also means that only people who REALLY want to know what i have to say will visit.
i also accomplished my lenten goal of memorizing the nicene creed. i was focusing on committing this to memory during the times i was especially tempted to log on to facebook. i thought i’d have to make ryan change my password for these six weeks, but my willpower was actually pretty good. i tend to be relatively disciplined when i want to be.
2. my life can be a lot more peaceful. i would be in denial if i said i didn’t like to stir up controversy. i enjoy doing it on my blog, and i really get a kick out of it on facebook. as i’ve mentioned, i also could take the prayer of st. francis more to heart and learn to be a little less incendiary. i like to challenge people on their opinions and appreciate it when it’s done to me because i think that’s how we all grow. however, some people don’t see it this way and my intended challenges end up being the gateway to emotional reactions and heated arguments (which, to my credit, is not usually what i intend). being off of facebook and away from this altogether really did have a beneficial effect on my day-to-day peacefulness.
3. arguments will come and go - and go on without me. i just can’t pass up a good debate, discussion, or argument. if i log on to facebook and see something worth discussing, a heated debate already in full swing, or if i’m met with a challenge - i can’t refuse. i typically try and resist engaging on certain topics because i know people tend to have adverse reactions (see number two above), but usually my argumentative nature gets the best of me. by cutting out the medium by which i enter into many of these debates - facebook - i realized that what i don’t know won’t anger me.
it’s not really realistic given what i do, professionally, for me to cut facebook out of my life entirely. but now that i’m back to using it more regularly, i intend to make a few changes. don’t get me wrong, i think that healthy, lively debate and discussion is not only acceptable - it’s crucial to helping us shape our opinions, beliefs and in developing valid reasons for these opinions and beliefs. but certain people may not be thoroughly excited about my (constant) engagement on various issues. and those that are will seek me out, opinions, two cents and all.
(ps: on a sidenote - congrats to mark zuckerberg. you know when people give up your product for lent, you must’ve really created a winner … not that mark needs any additional evidence he’s a success.)
April 13 2009 11:16 am | catholicism and religion