Leaving Facebook?

Directly as a result of creating this new blog I’ve been thinking about why I’m doing this internet thing, and where my time is most effectively directed at.

For the longest time I was anti-Facebook:

• time consuming
• all consuming
• mind controlling
• spamming
• why are we friends?
• do I know you?
• why did I just add you?

Pick any of the number of reasons why, and those were my reasons.

Last night I asked my friend Hazel Dooney “what do you think of Facebook vs. a personal blog?” Her response was to point me at an article she had written, titled About Face(book), on the subject a few months earlier.

From here, I went on to read Sean Bonner’s On Leaving Facebook.

I’m trying to make this decision for myself though, so I have been thinking: “what does Facebook do for me now to keep me using it?”

Initially I signed up to Facebook to hopefully gain more followers of my art. I always ask people who I believe are successful or have knowledge on life what their secrets to success were. Perhaps this is where I’ve been mislead. Who have I been getting advice from? People who also drain away their lives scrolling through status updates? No, this isn’t true. I have heard from many people how effective using Facebook as a networking tool is. I have myself gained supporters and customers from Facebook. I have gained some amazing friends from Facebook. How dare I turn away from it!

I jumped back onto Facebook after I had had a 3 or 4 year leave, and have been using it for the better part of 3 years now. I can not even calculate the amount of hours I’ve spent on it, and I do not even dare try and find such a calculator. I have Facebook chat installed, and I have 3 Facebook pages that I’m trying to promote.

I then read this article on 7 Crucial Things That Will Save You as an Independent Creative Over the Coming Years. It illuminated for me the necessity to keep my focus on, which got me thinking, how am I focused on Facebook?

Though I understand I am picking and pecking at what I want to take and not take as advice [I have certain stigmas I understand], I feel that all of these stars have aligned up to tell me what I’m to do.

What has been holding me back is also the usual symptoms as well. I have contact with many many people around the world, artists, friends, models, inspirational people… but are they really in contact with me? Do I really talk with them? Are they so valuable that it’s worth keeping Facebook? I find myself saying hi to friends, and the bulk of our conversation goes:

• “Hey! How’s it going?”
• “Good, you?”
• “I’m good, busy, but good.”
• “Cool, what are you busy with?”
• “Work, you know how it is..”
• “Yeh, I hear ya. How’s the wife?”
• “She’s great. Just got back from a weekend trip to Alaska.”
• “Oh yeh? I thought you were both just getting by with money?”
• “Yeh, we are. But we need vacations.. “

I think my plan will be to put out some messages that I will be leaving Facebook, and anybody that wishes to keep in contact with me will be able to email me at ned@nedtobin.com, sign up to my maillist to get my updates, or find me on Twitter… Really, there are countless ways..

I have come to the understanding that this now is a point in my life where I must stop my pointless pursuits and I must enjoy struggling at things that enrich my life with vigor and energy. So then this begs the question: doesn’t FB provide me with oodles of inspirations every day as I scan the timeline and read peoples updates?

This then pulls me into mentioning another article that I have just read on 10 Ways to Embrace Uncertainty. I’m feel I’m a brilliant man, I can find inspiration from a book! See where I’m going?

I think all of my stars are aligning to tell me to stop using this Facebook thing.

What are your thoughts on this? Have you taken the plunge? Shall we make a support group and meet for tea every Thursday morning? I’d like that.