It has now been a little over 2 months since I last went onto Facebook. Let's pause for a moment to celebrate that:
I'm pretty happy not being on there now. And I find a weird satisfaction with telling people that I am "taking a break from Facebook". Every time I say this to someone, they almost always nod and say something along the lines of, "I understand" - and what's happening more and more are the number of people who have shared with me that they too are off of Facebook, either temporarily or permanently.
A lot of my feelings about social media have changed since I started this break from Facebook in early January. I no longer feel like it is a lifeline to friends and family and I feel like I have forged my own lifelines to those I am closest with. Stepping off of Facebook didn't isolate me like I originally worried that it would, it actually made me feel more connected. I also no longer feel a burden to share so much of my life with people I am not very close with.
Facebook was always a double-edged sword for me: a non-stop connection to friends, family, acquaintances, and co-workers that made me think I was being seen and heard (even when I really wasn't), but it was also a big heavy weight of guilt and obligation laid upon me with every scroll, with every "like" I gave someone, & with every comment I shared on someone else's post - I felt like I had to give my time and energy to Facebook, and as a result I gave too much.
Will I ever go back to Facebook? I don't know. For now I am content being removed from that environment. It feels right to continue this extended break. I guess I will keep at it until my feelings change (if they should change).
Before I end this 3-part series, let me leave you with a few last musings (sort of like when Jerry Springer would end his circus of a show with his "meaningful" Final Thought segment):
- If something, anything, feels like it is taking up too much space in your life, don't be afraid to set it aside and take a break from it to see how you feel.
- It's never too late to start over. And there is no shame in starting over.
- Change is hard but you don't need to continue doing something just because that's what you have always done...don't be afraid to take a chance on a new adventure!
- If the phrase "there's got to be a better way" always seems to pop up, that means there probably IS a better way. Work on finding what it is.
- You are responsible for your own happiness; if you are not happy in your life, your job, or on social media, you have the power to make a change, don't wait for an outside force to fix it for you. This quote is one of my favorites: "Whatever you are not changing, you are choosing."
- And never forget - what your friends and family are posting on social media is not real - it's their highlight reel...don't compare your life to what you see on your feed.
