I'm on Pinterest...a lot. And I frequently get inspired by the number of quotes that scroll across the screen as I'm searching for things I like. One I recently saw discussed how difficult change is and how deliberate you have to be in your day-to-day life in order to change something about yourself. So, here goes:
I am (was?) an ultimate Facebook creeper. Day in, day out, basically any down time I had or anytime I was only sort of watching a TV show, I'd be on Facebook looking at other people's pictures, reading about their lives, adventures, accomplishments, etc. I can't say that that was too awful since it's nice to know what's going on in your friends' lives. But what's hidden under the surface and what was built into the site from the very beginning (Have you seen The Social Network? You'll know what I'm talking about) was an element of comparison followed closely by its good pal jealousy. You compare one person to another. You compare another person to yourself. Then suddenly, your good life doesn't seem all that great. Other people are out there doing bigger, better, more important, more exciting things. And it's not something you want to admit to yourself as you sit down to go through your newsfeed. It's a thought you push to the back of your mind and try to ignore. But it's still there, and it's still the truth.
I'd like to pretend that putting jealousy at bay was the real reason I decided to give up Facebook, but that wasn't it at all. It was just a really good by-product.
What it really was was a series of political comments, statements, cartoons, articles being posted and the like that I just couldn't handle any more. When it comes time for election season, everyone goes berserk. People that I like, people that I would like to think have some few ounces of common sense just completely lose it. They post some pretty ridiculous things, and it really gets under my skin. And it's not only view that don't coincide with my own, but comments being made from people all over the political spectrum. People that don't do their research when it comes to intricate political matters and just say some really ridiculous, ignorant things. I'm not pretending to have any deep knowledge of anything political because I don't. But then again, I don't shout bogus claims from the rooftops.
I guess, in the end, it's an issue of respect.
These people aren't respecting their friends who have different viewpoints, they're not respecting the political process, and they're not respecting the fact that they themselves have a reputation that could be tarnished by making some outrageous statements that have no basis in fact. Just because they saw it on a news program or some political commercial.
So I've decided to remove myself from the Facebook and Twitter worlds until sometime after November 6, otherwise known as Election Day. I realize that people will still say stupid things after the election is long over, but at least the worst should be behind us all by then.
At first, it was mainly an exercise in lowering my blood pressure, but it has become a lot more. I've realized that life does exist outside of Facebook, and I was mainly just making myself miserable scrolling and scrolling through other people's baggage. Comparing myself to others, getting upset at stupid things being said, and generally just wasting a whole lot of time.
I can't say that it hasn't been hard and my fingers haven't been twitching a little, but it sure is nice here on the other side.
And as for the poetic side of it?
Less than an hour after I had made my decision to quit Facebook, I got a call offering me a job that I accepted. Guess my Facebook friends won't know about it for another three months.
Oh, well.
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