The results:
Mixed: There have been some highs and lows.
Highs:
- I made brownies, when I might not have otherwise, maybe.
- I browsed through lots of Thrift stores and am now the proud owner of 6 more cds (a dollar each!), a pair of shoes and two pairs of pants that I really needed.
- I got lots more real e-mails from people!
- One person I don't really talk to texted me and told me that they were proud and jealous of me for quitting.
- I finished and mailed two snail-mail letters!
Lows:
- The surprisingly small number of people who sent me their contact info. 400+ facebook friends and only about 10 replied!
- I realized that Facebook was my spot to go if I got lonely. I guess I used it to remind myself that I had friends or something? I didn't call or e-mail someone - I went on Facebook! How ridiculous is that?
This realization occurred when one day my roomy and her fiance left unexpectedly for a walk. I had homework, but I wasn't really in a frame of mind to do it. I really wanted to go on facebook, but I went to youtube instead. One video lead to another and before I knew it, they were back from their walk and I was in the midst of watching a 10 minute clip of Dakota Fanning on the Ellen Degeneres Show. I had been in some sort of youtube trance, where space and time didn't exist, but the presence of other people promptly placed me back in the real world. I suddenly felt sort of pathetic, since random youtube videos is an even bigger waste of time then facebook is, but I don't think they noticed what I was doing so whatever.
- "Did you go to the concert last night?" "No... there was a concert?" "Yeah! It was a last minute thing! It was on facebook! Didn't you get invited?"
- (At a home worship service thing... like Vespers, only, there was only about 9 ppl) "I'm really down. Somebody say something encouraging that happened this week!" *Silence... a loooong silence* "Uh... I quit facebook!" "WHAT? HOW are you supposed to get my messages about this now? WHAT! Why would you do something like that?!"
Best Lesson: I realized I used facebook as a way of caring about people without them knowing I cared about them. Its "safer" but much more stupid. I mean, I could stalk your profile every day and you'd have no idea. I realized its better for people to KNOW I care about them, by me, you know, actually interacting with them more. That seems best.
Gloria,
ReplyDeleteI am really encouraged by hearing how this has affected you. I have thought about a lot of the same kinds of ideas of community and how we interpret interaction with those around us, it's a bit sad how dependent we have become on the internet as a use in community. I can't help but wish, that as much as the internet has benifited our lives, that our society could get back to the days of actually caring for people in the real world.
Thanks for the thoughts, and I really admire that you have the strength to attempt this.
you all read way to much wendell berry, you christian hipsters!
ReplyDeleteHaha I'm kidding. Really, I'm super proud of you for doing this and now I'm seriously considering it for myself. We'll see what happens though.
I can't wait for my letter by the way!