Today I deactivated my Facebook account. I don't think this will be permanent. However, it is time for me to take a break from the drama, the politics, the hate, the religion, the anti-religion, the stupidity and all the things that keep me from enjoying my friends.
I'm also angry that the FB powers won't return Luna Blue's (my cat's) timeline. I worked hard to give her a voice. It was fun and it was nudging out my creative black hole. Someone must have complained that "a cat" had a Facebook account and they disabled it, telling me I had to make it into a public page. I don't know who polices these things but what makes me mad is that I was writing about a cat, not inciting violence, posting pornography, preaching hate and intolerance, stalking or spamming anyone with my posts.
I discovered having two "personal" Facebook accounts is a violation of TOS. Ok fine... but the minions who go out policing people's FB accounts should look for "games only" accounts, other pet accounts and other fake accounts used to play games, stalk or spam other users.
I've wanted to quit FB for almost four years but as it was what brought David and me together, I've stayed online and connected. I've reconnected with some wonderful friends, sorority sisters, have tolerated others, kept up with family and continued friendships with other great online friends I've met through LJ or ATH or Catholicism on LJ. I do regret leaving some of them behind, but more and more I find myself scrolling through the feed aimlessly, refreshing the page automatically and not really getting anything else done. I have a computer so that I can write, read other blogs/news sites, books, fiction, email and create, not sit in front of it addicted to one social networking site.
I don't try to pretend to be any better than anyone or pass my life off as better than it is. It's pretty damn good. My life is my life and that's all that matters to me. I think I present the real me on my account and I don't try to one-up myself or compare my life to others. I don't envy my "more successful" friends. I'm happy even though I don't have everything I want. Do we ever? I have a home, a decent car and ok job. I have a husband, and in him I have a partner, a lover, and a friend. I have family, friends, and great pets. I have bills to pay, struggles in life and blessings.
One of the reasons to choose when you deactivate an account is, "I spend too much time on FB" or something to that effect. Pretty funny.
For me, it's lost much of its shiny luster and it's time to find 'old' things to do like write, exercise, read, cook, who knows what else I have put off to be constantly "in touch" with that social networking site. I guess what I'm trying to say is that maybe I'll come back, maybe I won't. But it's going to be a while before I do because I want to try to find my old grown-up toys and play with them first.
ETA: In my search for an appropriate image, I found a few articles about quitting Facebook.
A handful of articles about quitting at Huffington Post.
Heh! A Wiki How To Quit Article.
And there are hell of a lot more articles if you google "Quitting Facebook".
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