So I did it, Finally… I deleted my Facebook account.

It has been about a week and a half since I made the decision to rid myself of Facebook, and I have to admit that I surprised I was worried that I might possibly miss it.

I had been toying with the idea for a couple of weeks; should I delete it or deactivate it or possibly just delete the app from my phone so that I can only check it out when I am on the computer, but then if I only have access to it while I am on the computer I know I will get distracted when I am supposed to be blogging, or job hunting or whatever else it is I am supposed to be doing.

After I decided it was the right thing to do I kind of started to make excuses, like oh my gosh how will so and so contact me, or how will I get my news or current events… stupid stuff really that was keeping me from committing to the decision.

Last Monday I posted my last post letting friends and family know that I was done and that if they wanted to contact me there are surely a million other ways to do so. During the day, for people who reached out, I gave my phone number and email. I also spent more time than I should probably admit deleting pictures and personal information because I am not entirely convinced that when you delete your Facebook that all of your images and content are gone. I wanted to make sure that content that mattered to me wasn’t going to somehow end up as part of Facebook’s property or something of the sort.

When I got home on Monday right before I deleted my Facebook I got an inbox message from a PR friend who I admire, they were concerned that  getting rid of my Facebook could potentially be very damaging to my career; employers won’t be able to “stalk me” find out who I am. I had to explain to this person that Facebook was no longer a necessary tool in my life or my job career; yes it is a good means to stay in contact with friends that are on my outer circle but the people that really mattered were ones that I talked to every day via text or phone call; I did not need Facebook to validate my friendships.

Facebook was actually becoming more of a problem, I never tracked it but I am sure I spent hours a week if not hours  A DAY scrolling and scrolling the crap that is communication between friends, business partners, etc. When I was bored, I scrolled. When I couldn’t fall asleep, I scrolled. When I had extra time in the morning; I scrolled. When I was out with friends, I scrolled. Facebook started to take up my time and I let it. But the question is why? Maybe it was that little part of me that was curious as to what others were doing? But I feel like that wasn’t it because Facebook really just became a constant feed of chain letter type posts and photoshopped images and quite honestly a feed of crap I didn’t care about anymore. Sure I could ‘hide’ posts that I didn’t want to see, but by the time I was done doing that my feed would have been without any activity, so getting rid of it was the next best thing.

Now that I am Facebook-less I do find myself actually having to read more so I can get my currents and news I can’t just look on my favorite sources news feed and go from there, but it is nice I find myself in a spiral of information one thing leads me to looking up another and another and.. well you get the idea. I no longer spend hours scrolling, I am not longer that jerk that is out with friends that is on Facebook instead of being in the present. I am now fully in every moment I live, are you?

Whether I will go back to Facebook or not is up in the air maybe I will, maybe I won’t for the time being I feel liberated and satisfied. Do I feel that I committed internet suicide? Not in the slightest.

I dare you to deactivate your Facebook account, even if it is only for the weekend, spend some time with reality, with your family, friends, disconnect; it may be weird at first but I promise you will love it once you get past the awkward stage and learn how to use your words with humanity again.

xoxo

r

4/30/14