In these days of smart phones, it takes a conscious effort to avoid social media. I know I waste a lot of time on Facebook, so thought it would do me good to give it up for a month. So I changed my profile picture to the above photo and said goodbye for the 31 days of August.
I would love to say that I found it really easy and didn't miss Facebook at all. That I didn't feel like I was missing out on anything. That I made more of an effort to keep in touch with my friends by calling, writing, or even meeting up with them in person instead of 'liking' their latest status or picture as a way of making contact. But unfortunately, I did miss it!
I feel a bit ashamed to admit that. It's not that I physically struggled to avoid checking Facebook, but I've definitely noticed that there are times when my normal reaction would be to go on Facebook. Like when I get home from work, or while I wait for dinner to cook, or sitting on the train... It's a time filler.
I've missed out on referendum debates, ice bucket challenge videos, photos, and messages. But really, have I missed out? I still know about these things from talking to people, and most people have texted me because they knew I hadn't seen the messages. When I have met up with friends, I've asked them what's been going on in their lives because I haven't seen it on Facebook. And surely talking to someone face to face gives a better idea of how they are really getting on, rather than the select items we choose to share on social media.
So will I be giving up Facebook for good? No, not just now anyway. But I am going to make a conscious effort to use it less... hopefully!
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