I’ve been on a self-imposed social networking hiatus.
For the past week and a half my life has been taken over by report cards and parent-teacher conferences. Instead of chatting with friends on Facebook, I’ve been chatting with the parents of my students. Instead of writing blog posts, I’ve been writing report card comments. When I took a break from the chaos of kindergarten assessments and went on a weekend vacation with my family, I continued my internet hiatus, promising myself (and my husband) that I wouldn’t spend our getaway on the computer.
I haven’t updated my Facebook status in over a week, nor have I read friends’ status updates. I haven’t signed on to Twitter in probably 2 weeks. And you know what, I’m wondering exactly how much I’m actually missing. I’m guessing not a whole lot. Which leads me to bigger, more profound questions: Why are we all so addicted to social networking? Why do we waste so many hours staring at a computer screen? What in the world did we all do with our free time before the invention of the internet/email/Facebook/Twitter/YouTube? Does anyone really care if I update my Facebook status multiple times a day? Has anyone even noticed that I
haven’t updated my status lately?
The other night I was watching an episode of “Modern Family” (that show is HILARIOUS!). The family held a contest to see who could last the longest without using technology like cell phones, the internet, and video games. It sounds outrageous, but is it really? When I was a kid, no one had cell phones. The internet didn’t exist. Heck, my family didn’t even own a computer. Ok, maybe I had a Nintendo system, but I didn’t have any of those hand-held gadgets that 4-year-olds walk around with nowadays. Life was different.
What has technology done to us? Why are people so obsessed with social networking that they feel the need to check Facebook and Twitter multiple times a day? (And believe me, I’m not criticizing. As a recovering Facebook addict, I used to be one of those people.) Do we even remember what life was like before computers became our primary means of socializing?
I can honestly say that I haven’t missed Facebook a whole lot. I’m sure my absence has caused me to miss out on friends’ exciting news or important articles I should be reading. But for a whole week I wasn’t a slave to my laptop. And it felt kind of nice.
Now that report cards are out of my hands, and all but 2 of my parent-teacher conferences are behind me, I think I’m going to end my social networking hiatus. I’m curious to see how often I’ll sign on to Facebook and Twitter now that I’ve proven I can live without them. We’ll see!
So if you’ll excuse me, I have to go update my status. See you on Facebook!
As you know I had a very similar blog post about this same thing! I completely agree with you and have cut WAY back. I had to, it was taking my life over and taking me away from my family. Isn't it nice to know that you can enjoy life without being connected to the internet.
I LOVE Modern Family! My favorite show! I loved that episode you were referring to.
I wonder if now-a-days with all the internet connection….if there are less babies in the world because back in the olden days when couples were bored….*you know where I'm going with this.
I have no idea what Modern Family is… probably another awesome show that AFN doesn't get for us.
If you happen to go to my Facebook page you'll see Murphy has hit me no less then 5 times this week (and pretty hard too) and pictures of my crazies… being crazy as usual.
Facebook a lot of times right now is the "best" form of communication that the hubs and I get most of the time. Either yahoo doesn't want to load on his end or it's being lame on my end, skype makes his computer run way slow so that doesn't work for us. It's easier to upload pictures to facebook and then let the husband know to go look rather then bombard him with a million pictures of the kids when he's able to get on… he can look on his own time.
Once March rolls around and we find out where we're going next I will probably be glued to the interwebz… but mostly to find a house off post the next duty station 😀
And I noticed you weren't on FB… with this ridiculous time difference between me and the United States of America 🙂
We love Modern Family! It's hilarious.
I at some point am going to go 2 weeks without internet. I know I'm online way to much and it is a waste of time. I am a hold out on getting the internet on my phone. I want my cell phone to be a cell phone. I like being disconnected from my email and Facebook while I'm not at home. It's not much but it's something!
I feel that facebook helps me connect with friends that I can't normally connect with (meaning I have no minutes on my phone so I facebook instead) but I understand where you are coming from. Many times when I would go to Spain we rarely spent time watching TV or being on the internet. I remember when I was younger, the things I would do before the interent became something that people needed instead of wanted. However, I do agree with you and I feel that in order to live your life to the fullest, you need to put the computer down and go out and live instead of sitting at home. =)
I've been feeling the same way lately. I just seem to get too much information, at the wrong time, about the wrong people and it's exhausting.
Great post! I justify facebook by calling it work 🙂 I don't think I am addicted, but I like to take a few minutes during the day as a break from everything else. We will see if I can live without it this next week..
Have a great weekend!
All I have done all day is sit on the internet and I feel pretty lame about it, but I get so much enjoyment from it. I am just happy that I stick to my rule of no blogging during the evenings when my husband is home with me or on the weekends. It's time for us. He won't play video games or anything either. It works for us!
As always a wonderfully put post. Thanks for linking up this week 🙂
This was a timely posting as I was just thinking this myself…
I'm going to echo Val's response… I rarely update my status, or for those that update their status 5x/every day, please don't! LOL