This last week I decided to take a break from Facebook. I had read a few studies and was feeling unhappy about some aspects in my life, so I decided to take a break and see if Facebook was to blame.
Before I went on this Facebook break I assumed (based on things I had read and heard) that I would feel better after my week off. Having never been addicted to anything in my life before, it was weird to go through the experience of withdrawal. The first couple of days were definitely the most difficult, but by day three, that constant twitch to check my news feed was decreasing to just an occasion itch that wanted scratching.
So now my week is up and in actuality I don't feel any different. Those aspects of my life that are making me unhappy still are...because what affects my mood comes directly from my reality, not simply from the digital representation of my world. It is not what is on Facebook that affects my mood, but rather my pattern of behavior in how I engage with it. Doing things I know will make me unhappy on Facebook is the same as doing something in reality that upsets me. If I have the ability to be aware of my destructive behavior patterns and the will power to modify those bad habits, then both my online life and my real life will reflect those positive changes.(I hope)
While I feel that the study I read did make a valid point, for me personally, happiness is tied to what is going on in my real life and Facebook tends to mirror that. What I mean is, if something is bothering me in real life, it will bother me on Facebook too.
One thing I did notice during this break is that Facebook sucks you into being a spectator of your life rather than experiencing it first hand. So, while I don't think Facebook makes me any more unhappy, I do think it can take me away from doing the things that make me happy...like dancing or working on a creative project.
So, as an addict, I have to say it was glorious to plunge back in to the digital world of Facebook, but I'm going to try and be mindful of both my time and behavior patterns in regards to my digital world. We'll see how I do...and if I succumb to binging again, maybe I'll do a month next time...just saying that makes my hands twitchy.
