Why I Deleted My Facebook Account

What's one of the first things you do when you wake up? Look at your phone? Start up the laptop? Yes, me too. And I hate it. Yes hate. I don't like using that word often, but I truly have strong negative feelings to the way I depend on the internet.

“The unexamined life is not worth living.”
― Socrates

Recently I suppose I've been having difficulty in accepting certain parts of life. Understanding who I am, and my role on this Earth. On 11th March 2014 I finally picked up the book my dad had got me for Christmas: Into The Wild. I'd seen the film and wanted to read the book. 

I got to page 16 and set the book down on the side. I paused and thought. Chris McCandless sacrificed all he was in order to be who he was.

'I wanted movement and not a calm course of existence. I wanted excitement and danger and the chance to sacrifice myself for my love. I felt in myself a superabundance of energy which found no outlet in our quiet life.' - Leo Tolstoy "Family Happiness". 

That passage had been highlighted in a book that was found with McCandless's remains.

I've always had a problem with Facebook in the way that for me in order to interact with someone there is already a wall. That wall being that you are not actually with that person. I'm not saying that I think by deleting Facebook I'm sacrificing myself or my identity. I'm not saying it's a huge statement about modern day society hooked on the internet. Neither is it evil or bad. Just personally for me it isn't healthy. Honestly I am addicted to the internet. If you are honest too, then maybe you are too.

“I cannot teach anybody anything. I can only make them think”
― Socrates

I love blogging and writing which I will still do. I'll even keep Twitter. Mainly because for me Twitter is a quick process. I don't find myself trailing through all the tweets and trends. I write what I need to about my blog etc. then I'm done. I told myself: You are going to delete Facebook now. Here's when I realised I really needed to delete it. I noticed I started making exuses to myself as to why I shouldn't delete it. Some of the reasons were:

- You won't see what your friends are doing?

- How will some friends contact you?

- Your photos!

- You'll loose status' that you've made!

- You won't have a way to chat with people who have common interests!

- How will you escape from the boring parts of life?

It's in the act of asking these questions that I decided I don't need it. It's sad to think that deleting something that doesn't really 'physically' exist can bring such relief.  I am in no way saying that now I am better than everyone else because I've deleted one social network account. I am just saying that personally I won't let it get in the way of what is real. 

Noticing that reality is real can be scary and horrible. My life is not going to suffer from not having a Facebook account. In fact it means I'll have a little more time in my day to spend doing what I think is important. Actually existing within reality. I find myself wishing that Facebook and Twitter etc. would just shut down for a day, just to see what would happen. 

If I asked you the question can you give up a social networking account for a week, could you?

I think you may have answered; yes.

Well then...

do it.