The five stages of grief include denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Throughout my Facebook fast I experienced all of the above. Needless to say, the fast was a difficult time. Upon figuring out the amount of time I spend on Facebook, I decided it was time for a break. Why you ask? There are books I want to read, essays I need to finish, and applications I need to start. Mindless refreshing of my homepage for hours on end was holding me back from living life. Another reason seemed sufficient enough; I was ashamed of my behavior.
Everyone is guilty of Facebook stalking, but where is the line drawn? Facebook is a social networking site that exists for people to stay connected with friends. However, there is a difference between checking in on someone every once in a while and writing a note on their wall (er, timeline) and looking thru all of their tagged pictures. Where is the mystery in life? My curiosity was becoming creepy. The mere fact that Facebook users call it “creeping” should be a red flag that something is wrong. In theory, Facebook is great, but most people abuse their privileges.
Life without Facebook is an adjustment. Suddenly it seems as if there are more hours in a day; more value to my life. Throughout random times of the day I would check my phone for notifications or attempt to look at my newsfeed, only to be reminded that I did not do that sort of thing anymore. A few people texted me wondering what happened to my Facebook page, but those people were only my sisters and best friend. I will not delete my Facebook all together, but I am going to reevaluate the way it is used.
Society requires me to have a Facebook. When I say society I mean, I would be afraid of missing out on something. I use Facebook not only for social media, but also for various clubs as a means of communication. For most journalism students it is mandatory to have a Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr (I opted out of later two). Facebook can be used for a multitude of reasons, but it should not be wasted. It would be nice if I had the self-control to only go on Facebook once a week, but I am a realist. I will try to only go on once a day and go from there lessen my Facebook usage. I will not “stalk” others or “creep” on people’s pages. I have accepted the fact that Facebook is a dangerous tool if not used sufficiently.