spend less time on facebook

They say admitting you have a problem is the first step. Some also say that you have to hit rock bottom before you can improve—not sure if this is really necessary though. But I think I can safely say that I do have a problem.

I check my account all the time! If there’s a computer around I’ll check it multiple times an hour. Even when I’m running late for work I still feel the need to log on, change my status, etc. before I leave the house. I get this rush when I see that someone’s commented on my status, pictures, written on my wall, accepted or proposed a friend request. I don’t know what it is— okay, maybe I do….

I’ve never been very popular—a decent amount of acquaintances, but not a lot of friends. I suppose this has caused a need for acceptance, attention, praise, etc. I want people to find me funny and interesting, to want to be around me (even if it’s in a cyber-setting).

I actually resisted the Facebook pull for a while—to the point of a hearty boycott. That is until—and I’m not altogether proud to admit this—the ‘need’ to find out about (read: stalk) a new romantic interest. However, once I got on I got hooked… BIG TIME. I spend countless hours on it—checking out peoples’ profiles, pictures, taking pointless quizzes, changing my information, etc. Sometimes I wonder just how much time I’ve spent on it, but I think it would make me sick if I really knew.

Not that it’s ALL bad. I have re-connected with old friends (in real life) because of Facebook. I also ‘keep in touch’ with friends I made during my semester abroad—both Australians and Americans living all around the country.

So, I can’t say I’ll ever fully abandon Facebook. But the struggle is reach an appropriate balance— how do I do this? Baby steps, I suppose.

Through my experience, it ruins relationships, minimises actual communication with anyone who remotely matters and leads to jealousy and envy between friends.

Its not worth it and the falseness of it all tends to leave me unhappy. I could just about fall out with every friend I have from all the stalking that comes with being on the site … I want to start using alot less by the end of the year (i sound like an addict), otherwise I’ll feel like I’m missing out on all the festivites! But it has to be done … Wish me luck!

I just joined 43Things, discovered it accidentally :)..
So regarding Facebook. It’s quite interesting but highly addictive. In my case even more so. I broke up with my ex a month ago and I spend quite a few hours everyday staring at his profile, waiting for some activity, checking out his new girlfriends etc. It’s pathetic. Today, I have decided to limit my logging to 2 times a day. 10m in the morning and 10min in the evening. Until I find the courage to take even more drastic measures…

Sometimes I just log in out of habit. I want to try only once a day, then every few days, then twice a week.

I haven’t been able to cut back on Facebook use. Staying away from the house or the computer seems to work, though, even though I could check it on my mobile.

Maybe I should just try a time frame or something. Maybe decide that 10 am – 3 pm is time away from facebook. Maybe I’d get things done more.

I resisted the whole Facebook movement for a while. All of my friends had joined facebook and were asking me to join. I had a pact with a friend not to join – but we broke it in January and we’re both there now. I was abroad at the time and when I wrote e-mails to my friends back home, they never had time to respond. They’re always on Facebook, though!

Facebook is about shallow one-liners – you never really know how people are doing. I waste a huge chunk of my day browsing Facebook. Reading other people’s news and profiles doesn’t give me any satisfaction. I only get jealous that someone is traveling the world, someone is being productive, someone has a wide professional network and so on… I also get a bit paranoid, I never know who’s reading my stuff, since not many people comment.

I don’t want to quit facebook, it’s useful for finding out about events and maybe some old school friends, but I spend too much time on it, I check it dozens of times a day.

My goes is to log on to Facebook two times a day maximum – once in the morning and once in the afternoon.

This was the first thing on my list! I’m using it stupidly now when I could be doing something a lot more productive even if I am still sat at a computer. The fact I can get it on my phone does not help matters either as the first thing I will do when bored is automatically check Facebook. I am going to reduce my usage to looking once in the morning and once in the evening (or twice if i’m at work before or after). Still need it in my life for communication more than anything but just not as much as it is now

nothing’s good there. I feel trapped in my own center of emotional gravity, it’s hard to explain. I don’t feel good today,..always waiting on a nice word, a message, a comment, and then ??? then, that’s it ! You feel so tired that you don’t feel like doing anything at all ! I’ve thought about going on a trip to somewhere, it doesn’t really matter where I go, just as long as I can be away from facebook, but is it really going to solve the issue ? who cares what is happening in Mary’s or Jack’s life ? it is not a matter of efforts, it’s a matter of putting these efforts into the right direction…................................

Well, today I’ve made an important decision for myself : I’ve decided to put an end to my facebook addiction. It’s difficult because I really like spending time there, but I have to make a choice : it’s either virtual or real life and besides, I don’t think facebook is good for my psychological health !!! I’ve noticed that it makes me feel more vulnerable, jealous, schizophrenic, paranoid and all I do is procrastinate all day long, when I know I could be doing so many other things! It is awful and I hadda find a way out ! I believe once you’ve decided something, it’s up to you to make it happen….or not. I believe I can do it,because if I don’t, I will never be able to achieve great things in my real life (because of lack of time) and I believe that it is useless to know what is happening in other people’s lives, because what matters is our own. I am ready for change :)

I have basically spent the entire day on fb today i feel quite worthless I should really try and do something I will attack some of my accounting today as well.