I've spent a lot of time in the past thinking about texting and Facebook and the effect it has on my life and relationships. I've spent even more time thinking and researching it for the past few days. My thoughts on what I've read and my thinking process is that my life would 98% better without it. Here's why:
Facebook. Now don't get me wrong. I was obsessed with Facebook for about 4 years of my life. I begged my mother to let me get one. She gave in and I felt like my world was complete. I loved looking into other peoples lives, fawning over their pictures, and wondering what each and every status update really meant and if it was referenced towards me. Now that I'm 20 and not 14 I begin to wonder what the point of Facebook really is. It is a lovely way to keep up with friends that are far away, but lets be real. How many of us really and truly are great friends with everyone on our friends list. Truth is we aren't. Not even with a fourth of them. If you didn't have Facebook most likely you wouldn't even take the time out of your day to see how they are doing. Facebook seems to me a way to reinvent yourself. To make others see what you want them to think you are. To make yourself believe that more people care than actually do. I read something that made me chuckle and also reflect. It said something along the lines of "Remember back in the day when it was your birthday and your Aunt would send you a birthday card in the mail with $1 in it? Now you get a "Happy Birthday Hun xo" How true is that, and how sad. My personal opinion on Facebook as of late is that it is extremely impersonal and slightly creepy with the cyber stalking. So my choice is to hop off the facebook train.
Now for my next decision
TEXTING
Now texting has been a part of my life for even longer than Facebook, and like every teenager I felt as if it was essential. But I do remember a time when I didn't have texting and that is what has brought up my next decision. I was reflecting on those ancient times and I began to wonder. How did I communicate with my crush when we didn't have texting? The answer was : Phone Calls. He called my house phone asked to speak to me and we'd talk for hours. Now, I still talk to him on the phone but it seems as if our conversations just don't last as long. So I began researching and thinking. I found several articles explaining how texting makes friendships and especially relationships impersonal. One of them mentioned something about immediate gratification, which I agreed with. If you text all throughout the day then what on earth will you have to talk about when you call or see each other? The answer is not much. Now I personally would like to hear all about His day on the phone hearing his voice, his emotions, what he felt during what happened. I would like that much better and get more from it then a one sentence text message immediately after it happens. When it comes to friendships I had an experience come up lately that bothered me. Someone I'm fairly close to sent me several paragraphs of very hurtful words. It was a conversation that should have at least been had on the phone so that the other person and myself could hear how the other felt. But when you send something like this on a text you don't think about that, because you don't have to deal with the consequences or emotions of the other person. Relationships are meant to be experienced in person, not in small four word messages. So again much like Facebook, my decision to get rid of texting is the impersonality of it. I hope to enrich my life with these decisions and use real and creative ways to show those that I love that I do love them. It will be different but I'm excited for my new life with less technology!
I'm also excited for my date tomorrow!!!
Happy Monday everyone!
Maybe one of you will take the no Facebook/Texting challenge!
Sorry texting! Bye Bye.
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