I’ve been on a Facebook vacation since the beginning of the year. There were a number of factors that played into my decision, including the amount of mindless time I was frittering away, a sudden surge in baby news, and an alarming surge in banal twaddle from people I wasn’t interested in hearing about.
I also realized that I was walking around talking to myself in third person status updates: Lisa Manterfield is doing dishes and wondering why she moved into a house with no a dishwasher. Lisa Manterfield is in a bad mood today and wishes today was Whiny Wednesday.
I don’t know when I’ll be back from my FB vacation, but I can’t say I’m missing it at all.
As it turns out, it IS Whiny Wednesday. What do you wish you could take a vacation from this week?
Sue says
I’d like to take a vacation from all things related to my boyfriend’s ex-wife. ugh.
Maria says
My husband’s best friend and his wife are having the baby. The friend has a job that pays $10 an hour, and the wife is unemployed. The friend is in his 40s and his parents still support him financially. My husband lent his friend money 4 years ago, and he never paid it back. This week I got an invitation to the shower at a very expensive hotel that usually hosts very expensive weddings. I declined to attend because I don’t do baby showers anymore but my husband feels we should still buy them a gift. I bought the gift online today but it bothers me knowing my husband will never be repaid that loan. I know we complain about friends who leave us behind when they have kids but these I won’t miss too much.
Amelia says
Lisa, I love this post. I also took a vacation from FB for about three months. I was surprised by how little I missed it, and how much less “toxic” I felt emotionally.
I need a vacation–literally. I haven’t had a vacation in over three years. I need a change of scenery. I need a break from the current worries and sadness in my life. I need to escape the pressures that are constantly weighing on my shoulders. I am tired. Very tired.
Dorothy says
Gosh, what a timely post! I have been thinking about expanding my guest posts here at LWB into a book of devotions for childfree Christians. Everything I read about becoming a published author advises that I establish an “author platform” (which includes a Facebook account) before querying agents. The whole process seems so overwhelming that as soon as I get enough wind in my sails to begin, an obstacle — like Facebook– pops up and I give up within a few days.
Thanks, Lisa, for reminding us that a successful author does not hover over her Facebook page every day!
jeopardygirl says
Dorothy, most of the successful authors I have read say the same thing: success comes from hard work and lots of writing, writing, writing. Facebook, however fun, can be a distraction and a complete time suck. Yes, most of those authors have a presence in the online world, but they don’t hover over their statuses or Twitter feeds, they write. Good luck with your book. I’m atheist, but I applaud your idea! I think it will probably help a lot of people.
IrisD says
I’ve been checking in on facebook, mostly to send happy birthday greetings, or to post a pic or link I find interesting, but I have been spending very little time on the site beyond that. I remember that after watching the film, The Social Network… I was so turned off by everyone involved in creating facebook that I considered closing my account. Nowadays, I find it convenient for the purpose of saying a quick hello to some people, or for sending out information on mass, or as a way of messaging friends overseas or out of state. A few people on facebook provide links that are interesting for me (work-wise)… but I do think it can be very much of a way of wasting time and some people get really addicted.
loribeth says
I wish I could take a vacation this week from:
* Work. :p
* My cold (which is making work more miserable — and I did stay home sick two days last week….). It’s getting better, but not fast enough…!
* The snow & cold. Forecast says we’re getting more tomorrow — right at rush hour, of course. :p
Wolfers says
I need a vacation from everything- I swear Gods have it in for me this month- Through last year to now, I had about local 6 deaf friends I could hang out, due to no kids. *Bump* One announced a baby due July 2012. *bump* another baby due august 2012. *double bump* two pregnancies, both due november 2012, and then one is due march 2013.. so I was looking at the local friend M and thinking “so it’s just us”…..being thankful, secretly that she has no plans to get pregnant- over 45 years old.
BUMP! M just announced she is pregnant- due July 2013… so basically.. there’s no one left , I got this news yesterday, with the the first anniversary of the hysterectomy (February 13, 2013). It’s hard to make friends, especially with this small town, who I could communicate with (American sign language). Don’t get me wrong, I like to hang out with hearing folks, but many can get tired of writing forth and back for communication. And the deaf community is SO small, that there’s no other deaf females who don’t have children- M was the last- well now I’m the last. Well….
I am thinking to myself- I need a vacation from EVERYTHING. I’m *this* close to jump into my car and get dissociative fugue for a long while. And to boot, I had hoped to get to know some folks more on blog, so I gave out my facebook name (yeah, silly old me..) and no one hadn’t contacted me.. would be NICE to talk with folks like you and other bloggers…
yeah, I’m feeling sorry for myself.
and for drama on Facebook, I don’t encounter that much- I am very mindful with who I accept on my friend list. And it helps that friends know I don’t tolerate drama, so mostly target other friends for their drama, instead of me.
Nicole says
I took about a month’s break from Facebook at the beginning of the year – baby overexposure was just part of it. Fortunately I found the Social Fixer addition for Facebook which has made it so much easier for me to filter out all the stuff there that just upsets me to see daily, whether it’s political wankery or endless baby photos and chatter. That’s let me finally get back to Facebook a little bit, because I do have a few friends I was missing being in contact with otherwise. But overall, I really didn’t miss it and I don’t want to fall too far into the FB trap again in 2013. It’s just a time sink for the most part.
Wolfers says
Nicole- you mean an app on facebook, or page? I’d like to find how I’d do that too.
Thanks,
Jules
J Thorne says
I would LOVE to take a vacation from being asked that dreaded question – yes, it was asked of me again today – “Don’t you have kids?” by an acquaintance at a work-related meeting. I really need a response other than…um, no! And then there are the awkward pauses or looks of bewilderment that follow. I should’ve seen it coming when the conversation turned to pregnancy and labor and I was the only one not contributing. Oh how I would love a vacation from that question…I used to respond “not yet” when I thought it might actually happen someday, but that door is just about closed. Not the best end to a 12-hour workday!!!
Mali says
I can’t get over that you moved into a house with no dishwasher! I did that about 20 years ago. Needless to say, the first room we renovated was the kitchen!
No real whines at the moment. It’s summer, we finally have the house to ourselves, and I’m coming to grips with Windows 8 and have successfully transferred all my files to my new computer. (I think).
KT says
What is with all the baby news on Facebook recently? I counted about two weeks ago and 12 of 20 posts were about babies. UGH!
Wolfers says
I wonder that, myself. :/ Must be that folks thought, ‘gotta have sex’, who needs condoms?, before Dec 21 2012, Mayan end-of-the -world. Sorry- sarcasm here.
Heather says
I, too, often get bothered by baby news on Facebook. I start to feel sorry for myself that everyone seems to have a baby but me. My sister used to be childless, but not that she has 2 kids I feel that we are less close, like she can’t relate to me because I don’t have kids. This makes me sad. Now all of my siblings have children. My sister has 2 babies-one 6 months and one 27 months. My stepdad’s cousin just had one. Even though my husband is 55 and may be infertile, I am 42 and still have not given up all hope of having a baby. If we win the lottery I would like to pursue fertility treatments or adoption. Today I am whiny about being broke. I am a nanny and have an unpaid “vacation” this week from 2 of my jobs, and only $50 in the bank. I am pursuing other work, but the job market is frustrating.