We didn’t really fall out - I just got bored of being constantly notified of inane things on my phone.
Whilst the whole world was sharing their fun-filled summers,
I suddenly didn’t want to share my stuff anymore. Facebook Fatigue set in!
Yeah, I’m aware of the irony in not wanting to share my
stuff at the same time as writing a blog (and sharing that link on Facebook). So occasionally, I take little
holidays from the blog too.
I was hardly gone a week when I started pining, wondering what
my friends were up to. Sad huh?
I sneakily snook back in to see if I was missing anything.
And guess what? All I saw was a load of people pouring iced water over their
heads. WTF?!
The rest of my news feed was jammed with 50zillion ‘days of
positives’. Don’t get me wrong, I love positive thinking, but not when it takes
over Facebook and blocks real stuff from coming through, if there is any real
stuff there anymore.
Yes, I’m a total bore when it comes to these kind of social
events. I regard them like pyramid chain mail, nothing short of Facebook Chain Bullying:
“do this stupid thing or pay $100!”, which means they always bring out the
dormant teenage rebel in me and I become a non-participator.
I don’t like joining the crowd. Tell me I’m a killjoy, I
don’t care, I hate them. I will not be participating in throwing ice on my head
for charity, nor blocking up my Facebook page with everyday positives, nor
taking selfies of myself without make up on. Not that I ever wear any makeup –
every pic you see of me ever is without make-up so I had no issue with that. I
just don’t like forced mass-media events and the sheep like mentality of
everyone following them.
There I’ve said it. Please don’t be offended if you love
them. It’s cool if you do, I offer no judgement, just a lack of enthusiasm for
them from me. Instead of a ‘no-make up selfie’, I donated the money to the
charity, and I’ve supported my hubby in doing the ice bucket challenge not
once, but twice, and donated three times to ALS.
Truth be told, these events make Facebook really boring
for me. I prefer real updates from real friends – such as pictures of their new
babies and discussions in private groups. I use Facebook for polling different
friends fast, such as asking questions about where to get my iPhone screen
fixed locally, or sharing pictures of the kids at recent events for family and friends.
Facebook has become a marketing platform. A tool for sharing articles and teasing friends. A research study from the US Pew Research Centre reckons that 61
percent of Facebook users take breaks from the site because of
'too much gossip and drama' and 'boredom.' Some respondents said there simply
is not enough time in their day for Facebook.
So I’m going to stay on the peripheries for a while – maybe
dip in and out – and turn off my phone notifications, hide a few people’s
updates and take regular breaks. My end
of summer resolution is to stop using it as an excuse to not being in
better contact with old friends. We need to start writing letters and emails
again, not relying on Facebook updates to keep in touch (because if they’re
anything like me, nothing important about how I’m feeling goes in an update).
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