No Facebook

I've decided to give up Facebook for Lent. And just as I always do, I am going to blog my way though it. Although I no longer practice much organized religion I still appreciate the challenge that Lent poses. A period of time to try living without something. This year I am choosing Facebook because I want to force myself to take a break from something that I feel has an uncomfortable amount of control over me. 

While I don't post selfies every hour, or "check-in" to every location I visit, I feel like Facebook has become a part of my daily life as a time killer. Most of the time I find myself not caring what any of my newsfeed says but yet I read it anyways when I need a few minutes to let me mind go or I'm waiting for something. I'll check it on my phone just to give my hands something to do while I have a few minutes to kill.

With the birth of social media we have created a slue of problems that we never faced before. Cyber bullying is now yet another way that kids have to harm each other. Many times hiding behind who they really are in order to hurt others. Catfishing is now what we call posting a fake identity online and engaging in a relationship with that identity. Online predators also can use the mask of the Internet to lure vulnerable individuals their way. And now we have what we call cyber envy, jealously of your friends lives based on the photos they post or the relationships that they have. 

I find Facebook to be a double edged sword. Yes, it has brought many of us closer together but it has also driven us farther apart. We may have 750 friends on Facebook but how many of those could you go in in crisis? How many of them can you be yourself with? We start removing genuine human interaction so we start to shy away from it. When it's easier to just to send a quick Facebook message we won't actually call and have a genuine conversation with that person. 

However, I do love the stories of those people who have found former high school friends and reconnected with them after years and years through Facebook. For me, while living in Morocco, I was able to stay connected with many of my friends and family through Facebook. I'm not giving it up for Lent in hope of giving it up for good, I just want to challenge myself to live without it for a while and see what it feels like.  

Now I've spoiled all of you with the ease of reading this blog by posing my new updates on Facebook. I don't want this experiment to result in lost readership! Please remember to check Cash's Corner a couple times a week for new posts from me. If you would like me to email you with new posts send me an email at cashalexandra@gmail.com. Or if you would like to get in touch with me that way! Meanwhile I'll be here for another week and welcome your comments!