Breaking Up

Dear Facebook,

It’s taken me awhile to work up the courage to write this. I know I should tell you this face to face, but I’ve always been better at organizing my thoughts on paper. Plus, you have so many faces.

We’re through.  

I think you’re great and I mean that. You’ve connected me with old friends and let me share important parts of my life with them for the past four years. You’ve been valuable entertainment. But you’ve also allowed me to know too much about too many people. Superfluous information that is taking up space in my head. For every person you allow me to like more, you make me like two people less. Somehow you convinced me that reading other people’s old mail is an acceptable way to get to know them, and them me. I’d like to offer them a better chance than that. And I hope to be given a better chance.

But here’s the bigger problem: you’re a thief. A nice thief, but still a thief. You steal my time. It’s never a lot at once, but over the course of a day I can’t help but take peeks at you and find myself obsessing over ridiculous things like who else comments on a picture of a sidewalk chalk drawing. The number of Likes for a status update provides me with a healthy dose of self-esteem, and that’s ridiculous. As if I’m so important that everyone needs to know my every move and mood. I have this blog, and it gives me a more controlled place to share my thoughts, while developing my writing habit.

But I can’t blame you. You're just doing your job. In fact, it’s not you, it’s me. Some people are able to balance you better. To not read the updates on that creepy little ticker in the upper right hand corner or click on the little red dot every time it shows up. Sometimes I feel controlled by you, which makes me angry.

I think my life without being inundated by you will be refreshing and freeing.

Let’s still be friends. You have your place, but I need to keep you there. You’re great for promoting my writing, so I’ll keep on as a Page—nothing more. I won’t have the creepy ticker or be able to read about what other people are eating for lunch. I’ll run into you once in awhile and it will be a little awkward at first, but we’ll soon get used to living side by side in a healthier relationship. Plus, I’ll have more time for writing important letters like this. Srsly.

Fondly,

#Sortofoffthegrid

(I know it’s hypocritical, but “Like” W&S to still get links to my blog posts) à

 



 

P.S. I hope no one takes this personally. I'm keeping track of email addresses and I will stay in touch that way in addition to the blog and the phone. I do value my friendships. Just want them to be more...real.