Facebook Withdrawal - A Social Experiment Part II

I had mixed feelings being off Facebook. I mostly experienced positive feelings, including being free from the constant draw of the notifications, free from the negative, political, grammar-destroying posts (although that latter category does provide hours of laughter and enjoyment), and free from being inundated by incorrect information that somehow spreads so rapidly.

I missed some things, though.

Interestingly enough, the thing I missed the absolute most was the "bulletin board" aspect of Facebook. At one point, I needed to find a specific type of vendor. I would have "posted" that on my FB wall and found one immediately. I had to do a lot more work and research without Facebook.

I missed a few specific people's posts. I realized that what I read and value most are the informative posts where I highly respect the writer's opinion about current events.

Those two things, almost exclusively, brought me back to Facebook, on a personal level.

The other, primary, reason I came back was due to a professional obligation (but a nice one). I'm currently the administrator on my work account and I needed to monitor and post on my company page.

When I first came back, I stayed quiet - not posting, not liking, just reading posts from my favorite person(s).

Don't get me wrong. I do read some of the posts from close family and close friends where they're sharing their news and social activities... but those didn't bring me back. I have a relationship with them so I hear about those things from them directly. (That's a wonderful thing.)

I also read and love the random trivia and hilariousness that people share... but that didn't bring me back. I already happily live in a world of random trivia and hilariousness.

One thing was fascinating... I was surprised to find that some of my friends and family were not happy, to the point of being angry and argumentative, that I was no longer on Facebook.

Some people even took it personally, assuming I'd unfriended or blocked them. Facebook has absolutely too much power!

Others, of course, completely understood. They'd been considering a hiatus or deactivation themselves.

Overall, I've learned that Facebook can be comforting, like a good friend. There's always someone up and commenting, even in the wee hours. Plus, right or wrong, through Facebook, I do hear about important things happening in my family and friends' lives.

One of the most important reasons I came back was hearing from my friends that they missed my posts. They said I frequently inspired them with what I write. That alone makes coming back worth it.

I was missed as much as I missed others. That is definitely heart-warming.

Constantly Thinking...but not constantly thinking about posting...

Social Media Faux Pas

I know it seems like we can, should, and do only communicate with our friends, family and acquaintances via social media - FB, Twitter and Instagram.

But here's the thing about social media...
It's a great form of communication for acquaintances, whose numbers we don't have anyway.
It's a great way to stay updated with distant friends and relatives.
It's a great marketing tool for business and casual acquaintances.
It's "another" form of communication for those who are close to us.
It's a great general way to keep "the masses" informed about what's going on with you on a surface level. 

HOWEVER...
It doesn't replace real relationships.
It shouldn't be used for resolving (or exposing) relationship issues.
It shouldn't replace real conversation.
It's not for sharing personal messages (that should be sent or spoken directly to a friend or family member).

My friend, Justin, made the mistake of tweeting what should have been a personal message to Madonna for her birthday.

https://celebrity.yahoo.com/news/justin-timberlake-calls-madonna-ninja-her-birthday-sparks-134500779-us-weekly.html

He should have made a personal call or sent a private text. Some would say he shouldn't have said it at all - but that's between Justin and Madonna and their personal relationship. We all have that friend or loved one that we jokingly call out of their name, not necessarily profanely so, but still inappropriate in mixed company.

My nicknames, pet names, code names and trash talk names between me and my friends or my man will not be posted or tweeted for all the world to see. Some stuff is just between you and them. JT's backlash was swift and fierce, but he's a fast learner. He'll be all right. Hopefully, those who need to will learn from his mistake, though.

Constantly Thinking...and posting, tweeting, blogging, texting, writing, calling and talking face-to-face!