The Preamble

"Hi Facebook. We need to talk. I don't think we should be together anymore. We want different things out of our relationship. We're just not on the same page anymore. It's not you, it's me. I just need some space. This just isn't what I'm looking for right now. I still care about you, but I don't love you anymore. Let's still be friends though...
I will be breaking up with Facebook on Sunday. Thanks for all of the memories. I will never forget you. <3"

That's the post I posted today to let everyone in my Facebook World know that I am deactivating my Facebook account in a few short days.  This is a decision that I have been thinking about for a while, and I have finally decided to go through with it.  It might seem that keeping a blog about my time away from Facebook is just another vehicle to serve the same narcissistic and self-absorbed tendencies that lead most people to post on social media in the first place, but the truth is-- I'm really worried about having nothing to do.  And I'm really curious to see if I change as a person during this time, so this blog will help to keep track of my thoughts and experiences as I go along. 

So, some background about the decision, and my goals for the cleanse:

Facebook has always been a useful tool for me, as I have many friends in many different states and countries worldwide, and I have always been terrible at keeping in touch with them.  With Facebook, I can stay up to date with everyone's lives without ever having to speak with them (problem #1) and I can casually leave them messages without needing to devote time to a conversation.  I've also historically been terrible at remembering birthdays (problem #2) which Facebook is extremely useful for.  Lastly, I don't like to read the news because I don't enjoy being inundated with negativity and tragedy, so I usually skim Facebook and can pick up on the important stories without ever needing to open a newspaper or turn on the TV (problem #3).

The problem is that the Facebook I joined in my junior of high school is not the Facebook I am now a part of.  The Facebook I joined was a fun way for kids to keep in touch, by sharing funny posts, pictures, or memories with each other, even if you were sitting in the same room together.  I find that the posts today are mostly angry.  People are angry about politics, they are angry about social justice issues, and they are just angry in general.  Facebook has been amazing for the social justice fight and has allowed people to get involved and express their outrage where before they might not have had this outlet.  But Facebook is also filled with hate.  Where the old Facebook encouraged conversations, the new Facebook is more of a "my way is the only right way."  It's less about dialogue and more about angry diatribe.  This is not the Facebook I joined and it is not the Facebook I wish to be a part of.

I am hoping to stay away from Facebook for at least one month (September 13-October 13).  This is a great time of year for me to leave Facebook because it is the Jewish High Holiday Season.  During this time, we are encouraged to take a heshbon nefesh, or a self-assessment, of who we are and who we want to be.  Being free of Facebook will help me to truly embrace this idea of self-reflection.  And practically, with so many Jewish holidays right in a row, there won't be much time to check Facebook anyway, as internet use is forbidden on these holy days.  I am hoping the month passes quickly. 

In the spirit of heshbon nefesh and self-improvement, I am hoping that my time away from Facebook will help me to become a more mindful, intentional, and thoughtful person.  I am also going to work on becoming a better friend-- one that has her friends' birthdays written down already and texts or calls them to keep in touch.  Lastly, I need to work on keeping myself and the space around me positive.  

I don't know, at this moment, whether I am done with Facebook for good, although I suspect that I am not.  I'm mostly worried about being incredibly bored and having nothing to do... Life's a journey.  Let's see how this one plays out!