I'm giving up Facebook in three days.
Now, I didn't say I was giving it up forever. I'm basically just logging out and tossing my password in the deep recesses of my filing cabinet. Detox usually takes about a week so I'm guessing if I shove it far enough back in the giant mess that is my cabinet, I'll get extremely annoyed before I find it and just give up. Eventually, after a week or month or so, I'll be fine.
Isn't that sad? How addicting something can become? I mean, seriously.... I haven't been on Facebook much lately and it's starting to already become a problem. Two people have asked me where I am, one person actually called to find out if I was ok, and several people tagged me in posts and wondered why I didn't reply.
We are super connected to social media.
I started about two weeks ago with the general announcement that I was taking a break once school got out. I deleted it off my phone, took the password off my laptop and basically left it on my main computer. (shoot- that's a lot of technology I'm addicted to already....) The usual comments were made, and several friends inboxed me to make sure I exchanged info to keep in touch in other tech worlds, like email or texting.
I don't mind keeping in touch with people. I love seeing people's posts, pictures, memes and reading great Catholic material. But it's starting to really suck me in and I find hours slip by.
I don't want to be that parent.
You know the one. Walks down the street with their kids and oddly, is holding their cell phone and texting. Kids are walking and playing and having a ball, and said parent is nose deep into something very important (ok, typical crazy momma disclaimer- I know there are a LOT of important people- I'm married to one of them, and there have been occasions when he's had to be on his phone with the kids in tow- I get it, not talking about you, just those that are chronic phone won't come out of my hand users....)
But the more days I spend away from Facebook, the more I notice something.
I'm not missing it too much anymore.
I don't miss the subtle hateful political, religious comments that come the day after I post something about my own faith or political views.
I don't miss the selfie world at all. We have become quite the narcissistic world haven't we? And I was right there with them....
I don't miss everyone's perfect children.....including mine. You know some crazy data breech occurred with my husband's job, and now??? There's a very good chance every bit of private info about me and my family has been released to the crazies of the world.... I don't WANT to see my kids on Facebook anymore. Or anywhere public. Thankfully no one in my house does Instagram, or Snap Chat or any of those other dangerous sites (bite me if you don't think they're dangerous....) So there aren't other pictures of my kids floating around for people to get their hands on.... Just our SSN's.... :(
By perfect children, I of course mean nothing personal. I sometimes think we portray a false sense of reality to the cyber world and it gets sometimes stressful even for a seasoned train wreck like myself to constantly see. Should we really be asking ourselves, "why can't my family be like them?" Because I'm guessing I'm not the only crazymomma who's ever thrown a temper tantrum in front of her kids..... or maybe I am.... Too often, we can get caught up in the social media world and start to self doubt pretty much every single thing we're doing from what the right age is to potty train (which is pretty much been different for every.single.child.I.have) to what kind of food we should feed our families. I'll be honest- I've almost gotten myself removed from the grocery shopping duty several times after trying to buy every single item organic.
Do you KNOW how much I spend as it is a week at the grocery store?
I don't miss seeing where every person has "checked in" at. Cause if I know where you are right now, so do a lot of people. And that includes thieves. Just sayin.....
I have really kind of enjoyed stepping away from technology. I have limited my time checking emails to twice a day. I try to put my phone in one spot in the house and only if my husband is doing something dangerous, or is out of town, do I put it upstairs in my bathroom. Other nights it's downstairs in the kitchen so if anyone has a true emergency, they'd better know my land line number or my husband's cell number.
I really want to focus on my kids this summer. I mean totally focus. I already have enough distraction with laundry, dishes, grocery shopping (did I mention I go to the store at least three times a week??) and other house hold issues, so my time with them is already limited to an extent.
I don't know when I'll get back on Facebook. Shoot- after the first week the kids are out, I may jump back on full throttle to just escape the insanity. But my goal is two months. A two month sabbatical from the chaos of this world. I will read the news and try to keep up with my favorite Catholic websites, but mostly, I want to just be mom to my seven crazy kiddos.
I don't want to have any regrets with them in that department.
I'll still blog when I can, though. Because that's my sanity and thought process pleasure. Some things you just have to hold on to.... :)
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