Confessions of a former Facebook addict

Now that I have successfully entered the world of blogging, I feel a responsibility to comment about another method of cyber-socializing (cyber-socialism…?): Facebook.

Facebook has sucked many hours of my life away into oblivion. Thus, I am slightly biased. However, as a former addict, I do feel qualified to expose the soul-sucking power of Facebook. I, like so many others, was hypnotized by the ubiquitous status updates and application possibilities Facebook offers. “TIFFANY IS loving her hair extensions!” “PETE IS no longer in a relationship.” (Who’s Pete?)

My criticisms of Facebook are many (FB replaces face-to-face interaction, FB is a social crutch, FB needlessly clutters lives, FB encourages dwelling on the past rather than the present, etc.) , but I would like to focus on one. I weaned myself off FB a few months ago because I always felt worse when I logged off than when I logged on. Here’s why.

FB romanticizes the lives of everyone…but you. You, like me, have probably “Facebook stalked” someone. You click on a comment, status, or photo and end up looking at 60 pictures of Susan’s family reunion or John and Joannie’s new 4-wheeler. Somehow, on that blue and white page, everyone’s lives look ideal. I am not even interested in owning a 4-wheeler, but for some reason, after looking at John and Joannie’s pictures on Facebook, I want one. When I am single, I gravitate toward wedding albums and “I’m engaged!!!!” albums to glean some of the enthusiasm contained in those exclamation marks.

Maybe my skewed view of everyone else’s adventures comes from the mindset with which I peruse Facebook. My fingers mindlessly log on to Facebook whenever I am between real tasks. I start looking at everyone else’s lives precisely when I am bored with mine. Instead of getting up and actively contributing to something of worth, I passively observe the dynamic lives of others. Of course my life looks dull in comparison. At the moment I am on Facebook, it certainly is. I sit in a computer lab looking at the escapades of everyone who is too busy living their lives to sit around on Facebook feeling sorry for themselves.

Of course, Facebook is not responsible for all of my envious thoughts. I don’t think it is created maliciously. I see the benefits. Distant family members get frequent updates, classmates stay in contact after graduation, and strangers find a common friend and network. But, for me, a brief log in once a month is about how much Facebook I can handle. If I get on more frequently, my eyes glaze over and I spiral into a bout of self-pity. No. Thank. You.

Don’t get me wrong, if you’re a Facebook-ite, I respect that. I once defended Facebook to a person like me.  But it is something that doesn’t fill my needs anymore. Instead of being sucked into a cyberworld where everyone and everything looks like perfection itself, I open my eyes to the world around me. I find much more meaning and happiness in my conversations with my roommates, my walks around the block, and my quippy and cathartic blog postings.

Are you addicted to Facebook? If you are, the first step is to admit you have a problem.

The second step is to start a blog. 

P.S. For a very amusing article about Facebook click here.