Facebook

I like Facebook. I like seeing real-time windows into people's lives.  I like some of the quizzes, the chats, the photos.  I like making connections. I like your status updates telling me what you are doing, what you are eating, who you are seeing, what you are thinking, where you are exercising, what movie you are watching, how your commute is going.  You are clever, my friends.  Very clever.

Through Facebook I found connections with over 200 people.  Some of them are high school classmates that I had lost touch with. A lot of erstwhile colleagues.  I found relatives that I did not know existed in Minnesota and Germany.  Even my ex-wife, after 7 years of silence, became "my friend".  Facebook is, indeed, social networking at it's best.

When the "25 Random Things About Me" craze began, I - like everyone - dug through my memories to share some things about myself that I hoped you found interesting.

I like seeing old photos of myself popping up from people's scrapbooks.  Random memories long forgotten - yet there they are on Facebook, frozen in a single frame from the camera of someone you didn't even know was there. 

But life was OK before I knew every little thing about the 200+ people I know on Facebook.  And I am sure their lives were just fine before I updated them with status items like: "Palm to the Springs.  Hello Joshua Tree."  I mean come on, that is just stupid, and I apologize.  

So while I have enjoyed Facebook, I have also been acutely aware of the amount of time I have been spending on it.  I think it is time to take a break, and put my time to more productive uses.

I'm going to get back to the basics of updating this blog with less mundane things: posts about my art, my travels, my hopes and dreams.

But I did update my Facebook status one more time yesterday at Annie's suggestion.  Rather than cancelling my account, my status simply reads "Eric is taking a break from Facebook.  Find me at (this here blog.)"  

Bye bye Facebook.  I'm sure you'll do well without me, but I wonder if other people are reaching the saturation point, too?

Comments

[Anthony Moulds]

I understand, I started a blog instead. I found out I was spending too much time on the computer. I am more int checking my posts on face book, though. But I rather focus on my blog, not get hammered by all this junk things from face book.

[anonymous]

As a new parent, I feel confined to the house most days and I find Facebook is my only release. My only way to keep in touch, to be social.

I think _that_ is more sad than anything...but it's why I'm still on there.

[Sysm]

I've resisted. Thus far.

Short version, I've learned to cherish my privacy. IM proved too much of a time-suck. Blogger the same. I need limits on who I know. Limits on who I feel intimate with.

Somebody from high school who I haven't seen or talked to in 20+ years? If I had a strong enough personal bond with them, I wouldn't have been out of touch for that long.

I love my friends. I cherish my friends. And I do a piss-poor job of keeping in contact with the people I care about. Adding another layer of clutter, having pseudo-relationships with people who don't really matter to me? That would only make me feel worse for not spending more time with the people who matter to me.

[Suzanne Broughton]

I love FB but I understand putting on the brakes. For me, since I work from home it's like co-workers popping in and saying "hi." BUt then again it's like co-workers popping in and saying "hi."

[David Rossiter]

How sad and lonely am I.I only know six people on facebook, think i will quit now with you cause 200+ seems like a lot of hard work and time.

[darrelplant]

You da MAN! Facebook Strike!

Although I gotta say, 200 people!!?? Man, I've only got about 50, and some of those are tenuous. No wonder you're faced out.