30 Day No Facebook Challenge

I decided on January 31st at just around midnight that I wanted to do a "30 Day Challenge" of no Facebook. Yes, I know February only has 28 days...

It has been 9 days and I keep finding it hard to not want to sign in. I don't feel like I need to sign in or anything. Even when I was using Facebook I wasn't constantly on it. But what I am noticing is how much social media websites really do connect us. It may not be as superficial as I previously thought either. I do still think some interactions are superficial, but it depends on the person I suppose. Maybe those people would have superficial face to face interactions as well. I also still stand by the fact that we shouldn't be reliant on social media sites as our main source of human interaction. However, I kinda miss signing in and reading about the little things my friends and family have been up to. When I can't physically be in all areas of the world to spend time with those I care about, I can follow their updates and feel close to them. I also miss sharing parts of me.

 Of course there will still be those people who use Facebook to complain, protest, "advocate", get political,  and be ungrateful, lazy little shits... Buuuuut, that's what the "remove from news feed" option is for. I digress...

I just keep telling myself  "this is stupid". Why purposely avoid something that brings me closer to people? It isn't realistic to think that if they were "true" friends then we wouldn't need Facebook to keep in touch. As we grow older we all go on our separate paths. We start to focus on what we need to do with our lives (make a living, get an education, grow up) instead of what we want  to do (hang out with friends constantly, have sleep overs, stay at home all day in our PJs eating cheese doodles). Unless of course you are lucky enough to have what you want and need be one in the same. My point being, we aren't in grade school anymore. Life isn't one big summer vacation filled with endless amounts of leisure time, alcohol, and sex. We actually have to survive now... on our own. Some of us still have support from our parents, but either way, most of us still know when it is time to take care of ourselves. Some of us get to balance being an adult and having a social life, for others, depending on our personal situation, don't get to have that choice. Some of us have to give up that choice in order to survive. And while we are working very hard to get to a point where we won't have to work all the time, sites like Facebook help us still have some form of connection with those we care about.

Facebook is what you want it to be. If you use Facebook to only keep in touch with family and friends, awesome! If you use it as a means to blog, super! If you use it as a way to network, wonderful! If you don't want to use it, good for you! For me, Facebook allows me to continue working hard for a better, brighter, future, while also showing me I have a support system. And I support every single one of my friends as well. Even if it has to be from a distance at the moment, it doesn't make them or me any less real because we use Facebook.

Now, if only the stubborn part of me would allow myself to sign in before the 30 days are up...