The Eclectic

The ‘No Facebook’ Experiment

This week, I’ve decided to do an experiment, and as you were most likely able to tell by the title, it directly involves the much loved and addictive social networking site, Facebook.com. Now although I’m beginning this experiment by saying “this week”, I’m not limiting myself to seven days. A week will be my minimum; there is no maximum. Why am I doing this you ask? Here are a few of the reasons:

1. Facebook is the ultimate venting source next to Twitter which is then followed by dailybooth, tumblr, and various other websites where the primary concept is interacting with other people and getting in touch with the lives of others. Every time something happens to me, regardless of the severity, or the importance, I feel the absolute need to tell the world about it. “Back in the day” (I’m only 19), I used to have a real problem with venting every single thing I felt on Facebook, and got a lot of haters for it; now I absolutely cannot stand it when people do the same! I’ve changed, why can’t they? So. to keep myself from the needing attention from people through comments, likes, etc. on Facebook, and to prevent myself from seeing others’ pointless status updates, I am opting to remove myself entirely. I believe that if all goes as planned, this aspect will have a positive outcome, though, as I will mention later, there are the negatives as well.

2. When you really think about it, Facebook has different uses for different people. For older folks, Facebook is used to find long lost friends, classmates, and/or possibly plan meetings for business or get-togethers. For the teen audience, Facebook serves two main purposes. 1. a venting source, which I mentioned above, and 2. Stalking. 

   Admit it, if you have a Facebook and are active on it daily, you stalk people. You’ll stalk those people from high school who you couldn’t stand to see what they’re up to, you’ll stalk relationship statuses, and you’ll also spend a lot of time stalking the person you like. All of these things I believe are just unhealthy. I need to focus on myself, not others. reason number 2. 

3. The reasons mentioned above for leaving Facebook, I believe will have an overall positive outcome in the long run. But face it…. in this day in age, especially among the college crowd, Life = Facebook. 

  I’m currently a sophomore in college, and do admit that I have a severe addiction to Facebook for the aforementioned reasons. I feel that it’s almost like… a drug addiction. Like a meth, or cocaine addiction (maybe not that severe, but you get the point). And although I know that finding other ways to spend my free time (or time that in actuality is not free) will greatly benefit me eventually, it will also do some harm to my social life. :/ 

   If you don’t have a facebook, you’re essentially kicked off the planet. Facebook is how everyone stays in touch. It’s where you hear all the drama. The latest gossip, etc. I’m afraid that this will hurt my social life, since I’m not a big text-er anyway. Should I become a text-er? maybe that’s my only choice. 

  So I’d like to conclude this with a few words from an article I read revolving around a study done by someone my age on the removal of oneself from social networking sites. 

  They stated that it is OUR CHOICE to live through superficial interaction, privately, isolated from the real world. We have a lot more say in our actions and decisions than we give ourselves credit for.  It is our choice to find it easier to speak to people via. internet, SUPERFICIALLY. I’m so through with this, in other words, “fake” interaction with people. These exclusively online friendships. If someone wants to be my friend, make the effort in person and I’ll gladly do the same. (:

Sincerely,

Katie