40 Days and 40 Nights Facebook-Free
Until recently, I hadn’t given any thought to what I would give up for Lent this year. I’ve half-heartedly sacrificed chocolate and sweets or sworn off my favorite seasonal candy in years past, but a light bulb went off last week, however, when I read this Wall Street Journal article about parents planning to give up Facebook for 40 days.
Facebook is a bit of an addiction. I log in every day during my commute to the city. I follow email notifications for friendship requests or wall postings. I crave Facebook. I may not be as enthusiastic as 39-year-old Kevin Shine, detailed in the WSJ article, who logs in “as much as 20 times a day,” but I do agree with his statement – Facebook is “my candy.”
So, to friends and colleagues on Facebook, I’m quitting cold turkey…until April 12, at least. And I’m not the only one who’s giving up this form of virtual interaction. Steve Johnson’s piece in the Chicago Tribune suggests 10 creative and funny ideas for what to do with all the time you’d save by not checking Facebook.
Social media helps us keep in touch with family & friends, to network, and even to connect with brands. It’s also quick, and in our often lightening-speed paced world, anything that helps maintain relationships with a few key strokes gets a thumbs-up in my book. Living without Facebook for the next 40 days will be a challenge, especially for a digital native such as myself, but I won’t be completely out of the loop. To the dismay of Catholic bishops, I’ll still be Tweeting and texting. Is that cheating?
Good luck Skye! With the Catholic Church’s ongoing challenge of a dwindling audience (at least in the US), your post makes me think they should be using Facebook to reach Digital Natives like you Skye. Wonder if they are?
You are a brave soul Skye. At least you still have Twitter. ..
Good Luck! I hope to see a follow-up post on April 12th to see how you did. I am not sure if I could do it
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