Out of the Loop
I suppose it's been about a month since I started my self-imposed absence from Facebook and Twitter. I have nothing earth shattering to report. I haven't been incredibly productive. I haven't particularly felt that I have more free time. I haven't discovered the meaning to the great questions about life, the universe and everything.
No surprises there then.
To be honest, I didn't give up social media for Lent with any particular great expectations. I don't harbour deep feelings of resentment towards social media, in fact I love it. It connects me to friends and family who live too far away to see regularly, meaning that on the rare occasions when I see them in the flesh, saying goodbye loses some of its sting - I know I'll see them on Facebook, probably later that day. Social media has also introduced me to a community of adopters and foster carers which I value very much. On the whole, I feel as though social media has been a definite positive in my life.
But I came to a point where - and this is a personal thing - I just felt saturated with it. On my phone, my tablet and my laptop, the notifications just kept coming. And I kept checking. Many, many times each day. And through the evening. And late into the night. I have little willpower it seems. So I decided to take the opportunity of Lent to be hermit-like and go back in time to a distant era when I didn't know everything that was happening all of the time.
I've been surprised by how easy it has been. It's no hardship to miss out on things when you've absolutely no idea what you're missing! Honestly, (sorry adoption tweeps - I do love you!) it has been good to step away from thinking about and talking about adoption-related things for a little while. I think that's why I haven't blogged much recently either. It has been good to lift up my head and look around a little.
In my mind, I still think in Facebook status updates when something interesting happens or one of the kids does something noteworthy or funny. I'm surprised by how much social media has changed how I think. For the first few days it felt really strange not to immediately inform the whole internet about the odd goings on that make up our days, but I'm getting used to it now!
So, I've probably missed a few birthdays and events - sorry about that! And I'm getting regular begging emails from Facebook telling me I have enormous numbers of notifications. Lent will be over in a couple of weeks. Will I go back to using social media as much as before? Probably!
In the meantime, here are a few pics from our recent wonderful trip to CenterParcs with my parents.
No surprises there then.
To be honest, I didn't give up social media for Lent with any particular great expectations. I don't harbour deep feelings of resentment towards social media, in fact I love it. It connects me to friends and family who live too far away to see regularly, meaning that on the rare occasions when I see them in the flesh, saying goodbye loses some of its sting - I know I'll see them on Facebook, probably later that day. Social media has also introduced me to a community of adopters and foster carers which I value very much. On the whole, I feel as though social media has been a definite positive in my life.
But I came to a point where - and this is a personal thing - I just felt saturated with it. On my phone, my tablet and my laptop, the notifications just kept coming. And I kept checking. Many, many times each day. And through the evening. And late into the night. I have little willpower it seems. So I decided to take the opportunity of Lent to be hermit-like and go back in time to a distant era when I didn't know everything that was happening all of the time.
I've been surprised by how easy it has been. It's no hardship to miss out on things when you've absolutely no idea what you're missing! Honestly, (sorry adoption tweeps - I do love you!) it has been good to step away from thinking about and talking about adoption-related things for a little while. I think that's why I haven't blogged much recently either. It has been good to lift up my head and look around a little.
In my mind, I still think in Facebook status updates when something interesting happens or one of the kids does something noteworthy or funny. I'm surprised by how much social media has changed how I think. For the first few days it felt really strange not to immediately inform the whole internet about the odd goings on that make up our days, but I'm getting used to it now!
So, I've probably missed a few birthdays and events - sorry about that! And I'm getting regular begging emails from Facebook telling me I have enormous numbers of notifications. Lent will be over in a couple of weeks. Will I go back to using social media as much as before? Probably!
In the meantime, here are a few pics from our recent wonderful trip to CenterParcs with my parents.
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| Spot the red squirrel - yes really! |
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| Emergency poncho - well, it was Cumbria in March! |
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| We love to swing wherever we are |
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| My baby is becoming a big boy! |
I too am addicted to social media and often I find myself talking to my kids whilst staring at my iphone! Not good parenting! LOL! I also think in FB updates...scary how much it takes over your life. I have often thought that I will give just a section of my day to replying and posting online and anything that pops up outside of that time will have to wait till the next day. Will I do it - probably not! I can think about it though. Oh and I saw the squirrel, took me a minute though! x
ReplyDeleteI was completely addicted when I first started but have, I think, found a healthy balance now. Certain weekends I just know that there is no room for social media so there is no point in trying. Also after school, or when the children need me, I get the "you love your phone more than me" so again I mostly leave it alone and don't bother. It is hard but I hope you can find that balance because I personally miss you. Thank you for sharing on #WASO
ReplyDeleteI was completely addicted when I first started but have, I think, found a healthy balance now. Certain weekends I just know that there is no room for social media so there is no point in trying. Also after school, or when the children need me, I get the "you love your phone more than me" so again I mostly leave it alone and don't bother. It is hard but I hope you can find that balance because I personally miss you. Thank you for sharing on #WASO
ReplyDeleteI also gave up Facebook for Lent. I get distressed when I have asked my husband to do something, or he has said he's going to do it, and I walk into the room five minutes later and he's staring at his phone. I figure the internet will always be there, there will always be a new tweet to read or information to digest.
ReplyDeleteI miss Facebook a little - I popped on briefly to post some things to sell, and managed to catch a glimpse of my friend saying her baby had been born. We are quite good friends but she didn't text me about it, so if I hadn't seen it there, I wouldn't have known.
But I definitely have more hours in my day now. When my children nap, more things get done. I might go back after Lent...but I might restrict it to a certain time frame, and if that time of day has got filled with something else, sorry, FB, you lose.
Oh, and I left in the first place as a friend posted a video with a car crash in it which I accidentally watched and was really disturbed by. Plus I have posted things and 'friends' have posted such hurtful comments! I realised it was damaging me more than it was helping me. So, you know, forget it!