I did it.
I think I finally cut my Facebook addiction chain!
Several times over the past few years, I have realized that I had an ever-scrolling Facebook addiction and then proceeded to demand that I quit by deleting the application off of my phone. … only to find myself logging in on the website instead for a few weeks before re-installing the app.
I read a few years ago about a lady who said she unfriended everyone on her facebook other than her husband so that she didn’t lose her data and could use it as a scrapbook. (referenced here) While that takes gumption and is admirable in its own value.. it also takes an immense amount of TIME to unfriend everyone one-by-one!
But yet still… I found myself realizing that I spend an immense amount of time continuously scrolling on Facebook in any and every spare second I have. And if you asked me to recall ONE thing I read, I honestly don’t think I could. I’m sure that since the start of the year, the amount of time I have spent on Facebook could have been used to read like 20 books or more! And that would have been information that I could retain – and by doing so would do me good for improving my overall concentration and vocabulary.
Side note: Have you noticed that we have become a skimmer society??? We read 300 word Facebook ‘articles’ and STILL SKIM over the information. If it’s not a meme we don’t even read every word of what we are reading! We have become LAZY PEOPLE – our eyes and our minds! It’s EXHAUSTING and FRUSTRATING that I frequently spend the time drafting a beautiful email with great information just to have NO RESPONSES to it because it was ‘too long’ to read! SKIMMERS! (although I am included in this visa-versa as well)
So, I was faced with a dilemma. I didn’t want to unfriend everyone (or take the time to do so) because I DO want to be able to interact with them… but the addiction also had to stop.
So.
There is this nifty little settings feature called ‘newsfeed preferences’. You can UNFOLLOW any friend or page by tapping on the profile photo on this LOOOOONG list of everyone you follow.
So I did it.
I unfollowed everyone.
Okay, I didn’t unfollow my husband or the pages I manage (three), but I DID unfollow EVERYONE ELSE.
So now, if I really have something I want to share or post, I can still do so and all of my friends can interact with me and I with them… but i’m NOT constantly updating and refreshing my newsfeed – because – there’s nothing but ‘suggested posts’ and advertisements there! Who wants to scroll through that? Not me!
Ha! I win, Facebook!
I. WIN!
I’m cutting my addiction off and reclaiming my right thumb as mine!
(Maybe I will save myself from a few years before I get carpal tonal or arthritis.)
…it’s only been 18 hours or so, but i’ll let y’all know how it fares. So far, so good! :)
Dühring Life 