New Year's Resolution: No Facebook

Why I’m giving up Facebook for a year...



     Before Facebook, the social network of choice was Myspace. A Myspace profile was (is?) more customizable than Facebook and when I was introduced to it in middle school it was important to create a fashionable profile to get as many ‘friends’ as possible. Eventually, the public interest shifted towards Facebook’s stark, photo and newsfeed based layout. Part of Facebook’s luster is sharing information and getting ‘likes’. It is easy to say that trying to achieve a high number of ‘friends’ or ‘likes’ is a petty endeavor, yet my reasons for wanting to take a break from this form of media are more encompassing.

     Facebook is a good tool and well assembled. The minds behind this organization have crafted a highly appealing product by using effective psychological methods. It has great potential for uniting people over ideas and across distances. However, the same attributes that make this website useful can also make it divisive. I’ve seen posts of people lamenting others’ disposition to spouting politics. I strongly believe politics should be discussed and Facebook is a valid platform for such discussions. It is the unwavering beliefs that are disgruntling and there is something about an electronic screen that seems to embolden uncompromising expressions. I find the rampant negativity on Facebook to be tiring.

     Aren’t we all seeking some degree of attention? Isn’t that ok, within reason? I’m not questioning the morality of selfies. I’m simply not receiving enough satisfaction to verify the amount of effort I contribute to Facebook. If I were to put all the time I spend looking at notifications and the newsfeed instead towards a hobby (like writing), then I might actually accomplish something.

     There is a lot of information being projected at us. Mass media asserts opinions and events into as much of our waking life as possible. I’d like to think that Facebook assists in keeping connected with friends, but I don’t really participate in the meaningful interaction with them that I crave. I usually leave Facebook feeling more lonely than fulfilled. At the expense of missing out on some important occurrences, I would like to focus on my immediate, tangible endeavors. I want to base my achievements on mine, not to compare them to the deeds of another. I want to use my time wisely, to improve myself. I want to experience a virtuous life, not a virtual life.



"Society, you're a crazy breed,
I hope you're not lonely without me."

- Eddie Vedder, "Society"



Thank you for reading.