Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Goodbye Facebook!

I finally deleted our Facebook account!  I've known I needed to for some time.   But, I finally did it!  It sounds so silly, but, it was so hard!   I feel like I'm going to miss out on so much.  Being a stay at home mom...sometimes I feel like it's my only connection to the outside world.   We don't even watch tv, so sometimes it's the only way I know a storm is coming or if something serious is going on in the world.   It's a great way to keep in touch with friends from other states.  I have loved it.   But, there have been weeks that I've looked back and seen that I have spent way more time on the computer than with my kids.   Then, I think about all the stupid status updates I read...was it really worth it?  Is knowing what kind of bagel someone got that morning more important that a conversation with my son or daughter?   Seriously...no wonder sometimes I feel like I'm losing brain cells by the second!  I have had so much useless information going into my head that it's like I'm on overload.   Not that I don't love these people that I'm "friends" with, but, I don't need to be sitting in front of a computer to keep up with hundreds of people I'll probably never see again in my life.    I am not saying Facebook is bad or wrong...but, it is for me. It's given me a fake sense of community...all the while I've been missing out on the real thing.   Have you ever been with someone who could not quit texting and checking emails on their phone?  It makes me feel horrible...like they don't really want to be with me.  I have realized that that is probably exactly how my kids feel.   I'm embarrassed to admit that.   It's not like I was on the computer all day long...but, it was  way more than it should have been and it was on my mind way more than it should have been too.

After I shut off our account, Chad told me about this article!  As I read, I totally related.  I have felt such a huge sense of relief sense shutting off our account.   I've been a nicer person because I'm not irritated that someone is keeping me from seeing what all of my "friends" are doing.   I wasn't anxious to get my kids in bed so that I could plop down in front of the computer.  We cuddled, read books, and talked.   Now that they are all asleep, I'm so excited to start a new book I just got from the library.  It's the last in the Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers.  It's SO good!   I would highly recommend it.   It's changed my life!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I know. I know!!!!! I have been on and off again with Facebook. Even this last time when I got back on and gave myself all kinds of guidelines, I've found myself slowly increasing my time on there. It drives me crazy! Chris would not ever get a facebook account and he says the same thing about trying to converse with someone and all they can do is look at their phone.

TheBowlingFamily said...

I know...I wish I was disciplined enough...but, reading that article made me realize that this stuff really does pull you in.