I have recently done the unthinkable. I left Facebook. Why? How could I go through with it? For me, it has been an internal conflict for quite a while on whether to remain or to leave.
The interesting part to me is that I had recently received several friend requests from people in my church. The interaction was good and Facebook was becoming more than a place to play games. With all the new friends and interaction, why would I want to leave? I recently sent a letter to fourteen members of the church that were on my friends list. The letter addressed issues and questions I had. I had prayed about these things before being prompted by the Holy Spirit to address it in an open letter format. I was uncertain but I obeyed. What followed, for the most part, was beautiful fellowship of people giving me their sincere replies and points of view. The letter went back and forth in replies for several days. It came to a close naturally. I felt more bonded to some as a result of our exchanges. My concerns and questions were answered. While I may not agree with every view, I can appreciate them when shared from the heart.
I mention the open letter exchange because it seems to be an integral part in my decision to leave Facebook. It has been two days since I deleted my account. The date was April 22, 2014. Since then, I have pondered and reflected on that decision. What I have gained through the letter and the leaving is peace and healing. The healing I speak of is in relation to feeling I do not have to prove myself to anyone...or have anyone (like the church, for example) prove themselves to me. I have peace and calm within me, almost overwhelming me.
I also feel alone but in a necessary way. Facebook was a large distraction. It took from my family and my time overall. Some people can exercise great control in regards to their Facebook usage. That is fantastic. I, on the other hand, struggled with it. I don't want my life plastered in a virtual reality where friendships seem to exist but are seldom played out so richly in real life. I prefer the hard road of telephone calls, time spent together in a shared event or even just old-fashion emails.
That leads to my other point. Despite how wonderful the fellowship was (for me) in that open letter, it still created a secret society within the church that excluded others, though not intentionally. I could only send the letter to those with whom I had Facebook connections. I could not ask for a meeting in the church nor initiate one during service. The repercussions of those actions may not have been well received. Facebook makes friendships too convenient, almost lazy. Why send a message via Facebook when a telephone call is more succinct and leaves you to wonder less whether the message was received and also what the reply is.
I do not say any of this to offend anyone. I am expressing how Facebook makes ME feel and what I prefer to the virtual reality that it creates. Also, Facebook is demanding if a person is to truly reap any rewards from using its services. If you do not interact, engage others, post stuff, etc...then you get left behind, lost in the newsfeeds or worse, not listed at all when you do bother to post.
I hunger for genuine, authentic relationships. Facebook may add some polish to existing relationships, but it cannot be the foundation on which they are built and maintained. With all that said, it seems only natural that my time in the virtual reality of Facebook draws to a close. I have not left the planet. I haven't even left the internet. I only left Facebook.
No comments:
Post a Comment