HITTING PAUSE ON FACEBOOK

I'm currently in the middle of a break from Facebook that's been so nice. I know some people hate social media, but I'm one who loves the opportunity to chat with people from all different parts of my life, see pictures of their families, and read about what they've been up to. I also appreciate the convenient resource Facebook is for brainstorming solutions to problems, getting recommendations for various things, and connecting with folks within my community.  

Even though I love it, I've always made a habit of taking a random week or two off once or twice a year. It's easy for my extroverted self to get sucked in and spend too much time online, so those periodic breaks help me be responsible with my time management. However, various online obligations have kept me from taking those spontaneous, extended breaks for a few years and I was overdue for some time away. My goal was to take the whole month of January off, but I ended up with just over three weeks. That works! 

The pros of Facebook still outweigh the cons for me, but temporarily turning off the cacophony of rude, condescending, and snarky voices that it's been for the last year has been amazing. As one who chooses to use Facebook for positive interactions on neutral topics (meaning I haven't posted about any of the major issues of the last year), hitting pause on the steady stream of negativity that's filled my feed has made me realize how much it was all weighing on me.

I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with talking about big issues on social media, and I'm thankful for the handful of friends who do so with consistently respectful dialogue, but so many people lost their online filter this year. It's been brutal to watch. The boldness people have on social media that they'd never have in person has always bothered me, but it's been it's been taken to a whole new level lately. The insults, name calling, and general disrespect for other human beings is astounding and those who post those things in broad terms often don't realize who exactly it is they're calling out. I see it from people I strongly agree with (and would never let know I agree with because I don't want to be associated with their behavior), those I strongly disagree with, and a whole slew of people talking about things I haven't even been able to form a solid opinion about. 

I suspected before this break, and know for certain in the middle of it, that I need to change some things to make Facebook continue working for me moving forward. I've always used the options of snoozing, unfollowing, and unfriending to keep my Facebook experience pleasant, but really ramped it up the last several months. I suspect February will find me doing a deeper purge of my Facebook friend list as taking time off will make the abrasiveness of various people more obvious upon my return. We'll see how that goes. And I definitely need to make some changes to how much time I spend there, a problem which is entirely my own fault. That will be much easier to manage now that I've eliminated all my Facebook responsibilities. No more getting on because I have to, then staying on far longer than necessary. 

Why am I telling you this? A couple reasons. First, I encourage you to think before you post something online. If you wouldn't look someone in the eye, someone you know and like, and say what you're about to say, in the way you're about to say it, about people like them, don't post it. If your page is heavy on criticisms about various individuals, groups of people, organizations, and so on, consider easing up a bit, or at least putting an equal effort into praising people. If you spend a lot of time talking about how words matter, kindness matters, or people matter, remember that's also true for your words, your treatment of others, and all the people you're interacting with online, even those you don't like. Especially the ones you don't like, because that's when you actually have the chance to practice what you preach.

Second, I think it's so important to have times where you're unplugged. Although the last year was hit and miss because of extended periods of time without interacting in person and I needed people, I've had one day each week that I've been totally offline for a few years. Right now I'm spending a few weeks off Facebook, but still doing other things online. I've also had certain times of the day that I won't get online before or after.  However it works best for your life, find a way to disconnect from screens on a regular basis. It doesn't matter if it's big chunks of time spread apart or smaller amounts of time that are more frequent. Sometimes temporarily stepping away from something shows us more clearly how that particular thing is impacting us, both positively and negatively.

It will be awesome to log into Facebook and catch up with folks again when February rolls around, but right now I'm soaking up this time without it. I miss the blessing of it, but am enjoying the absence of its burden. 

Speaking of blessings and soaking up the good things, isn't the sunset pictured above from last weekend so pretty? I absolutely love colorful sunsets, whether they're subtle or vibrant, and am so thankful we get perfect views of them from the front of our home. No matter how great or rough your day was, a pretty sunset ends things on a positive note.