Study of a hiatus from Facebook

By Carole

This is quite fascinating. I have taken a month off of Facespace, and my findings are as follows.

(I made a new hat! Ok, so I actually made maybe five or more hats during my “break”)

1. Long elf hat

2. Funky fabric hat with pompoms and paper mache feathers

3. globe helmet that I need to put a chin strap on

4. newspaper hat(s)

5. Paper hat(s)

6. Crocheted hat in picture

7. I’m currently working on the needlework on another hat I’m sewing.

I also made a giant heron head/sculpture that fused some of my features with that of the heron. It’s the biggest that the art department has seen so far and it was nearly too big for the cone 06 kiln. I was really scared that we would have to cut it down and fire it in separate pieces. But God is good and it just fit!

I’m working on making wings for the heck of it, and I need a base, straps and a whole lot of tinfoil, however… I’m pretty much broke.
I’m constantly marveling at what can be done when you have little to no money, ingenuity and resources of your positioning and time. There’s so much I haven’t discovered yet!
If you didn’t know yet, I lost my job over the summer and I need a new one. I am however quite busy so it would be nice if the hours were quite flexible.

What I like about not being online

What I do not like about not being online (aka: What’s not cool about unplugging from the cyberworld of chaos) What’s not cool about being out of cyberspace

I log back on and I find: _6_ friend requests, _4_ notifications, _15_ messages,  a boatload of invitations and  4 tags I’m not constantly concerned with what is necessarily going on in the “drama department” and whether or not people’s actions and reactions will be sophomoric in nature. Every part of society is dissected online no matter whether it is of any consequence. This concerns me because no matter how small an issue is, it can be blown way out of proportion by someone’s offhanded remark. She said, he said, I thought… not really relevant, huh? I appreciate your wanting to include me in your activities, but if you would like to schedule an appointment please feel free to contact me by phone or e-mail, or better yet, by mail! Time is limited and appointments fill up quickly! (I’m not really joking, this is a true fact, and I don’t mean to sound snooty, but seriously!) I simply don’t have time!!! I sincerely, love you all, but I don’t have enough time right now to be around everybody always. For the people I know and am around weekly, bi-weekly, and daily I find it wearying to see your every facet of life posted for all to see. It’s not that I disrespect you in any way, but I simply grow tired of what new drama is attacking the every fiber of your fragile psyche, and how it affects the terminal  mentality of those you are influencing I don’t get a headache from checking what someone else has posted in response to some inane thing I have just posted, or asked about. I don’t get frustrated with emoticons. XP I have BROKEN THE HABIT OF LOGGING ON TO FACEBOOK EVERYTIME I GO ONLINE!!! I can read the bible and have more peace of mind in the morning than constantly thinking about what a person may think about the newest picture that I was tagged in, and how it may affect my “image” on a global level. I have more time for homework, art, crafts, people, and in general living life outside of a screen. I find I like people better than profiles. I like writing letters, and sending letters, and receiving letters. Do YOU REALLY want to know what I have been doing with my time? I’d rather tell you in person I can just as easily check out cnn.com and many other news sources for updates in world headlines I can hear first person what is going on with people in their lives rather than being the seventh in a row to try and keep up with what they are going through in a feed I can see snippets of other things online if I really want to find them myself, I REALLY like the show Community now… community college is really like that sometimes I am not hammered by status updates, tags, pokes, notifications, club invites, invitations to things I don’t have time for I can work on my attention span and not get sensory overload by listening to music and trying to read my textbook at the same time while riding the bus… and wondering what’s for dinner while texting someone to see if they have the homework question 6.a. as a certain logical-operation-that-I-can’t-remember Subject matter doesn’t carry over from real life to the digital world. I met a lot of new people… In person! Less drama; more sleep

I don’t know how the people in other states and countries are doing; whether or not they are adjusting well to the culture shock (because I couldn’t find your address!) I’m out of contact with a large portion of the people I know; whose only link to me contact-wise is “Facespace” I can’t tell a lot of people about what new performance I’m in, or where my art will be on display, or what funky new adventure I have been on recently, unless I post it in my blog, e-mail notifications out, or write a newsletter…wait… I’m not as tech savvy as I could be I’ve been meaning to ask: would anybody have an extra contact juggling ball that they would be willing to part with? I would really like to learn how to contact juggle. Also I would like to learn how to drive and how to ride a horse this year. Does anybody have a horse?... My “social network” is fascinatingly condensed to the people who actually take the time to find me without my presence on the internet, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but a good perspective builder When the habit’s stuck: go online, sign onto Facespace, e-mail account login and password etc, I feel like something is missing (but it’s really not needed) I like keeping tabs on people, networking, communicating, and introducing people to each other, especially if they would find interest in other associates of mine, and/or that come to mind I can’t do as much social research into the backgrounds of people that wish to stalk me in cyberspace. “I can’t constantly know what Gaga is going through, and how she loves her little monsters so much… no she <3’s her little monsters, and thanks them for their support. (take in mind I really do know how much effort it takes her to get up in the morning, and that she lives for her fans now and not for herself-she really does exist in that persona just for the world.) I’m out of communication with people in general

Interesting.

Of all the pros and cons, I find I dislike Facespace more and more with each passing comment. Perhaps when I have logged back on I will find I like it more, but sorting through a month’s worth of “STUFF” will be an interesting adventure.

Now I challenge you to a duel to the end of an attention span. Can you do it? Can you take a hiatus from the world of interconnection and interdependence of a method never before seen in our history? Peel off the suction cups from your eyeballs. It would be quite the feat. I’m not saying it has been easy, but as soon as you break the habit of logging on every other second of the day you may find that a LOT of worry, concern, peer pressure, condescension, and frustration may evaporate (Not to mention a great deal of other things too). I’m not saying that you have to abandon the relationships that you have kept and keep in contact with if you need to be online quite often. But think about it, do you really need to stay online? Can’t you just talk to them? Most of your “friends” are real right? I’m sure they’d appreciate a word or two offline, or even better: in person. I’m not speaking for everyone though! As for me, if I could I would live with letters via snail mail or messenger.

Here’s the challenge:
Start with taking ONE whole day off of Facespace
next, progress to taking two consecutive days off of Facespace.

Day three: if you check your profile more than once you have an addiction and you need to take Facespace out of your applications and favorites toolbars on your computer/phone

Day four: if you MUST log back on and find out whose phone numbers and/or addresses/e-mail(s) you don’t have and ask for them, that way you can still keep in contact, but not constant (stalker) contact.

Day five: log off for 10-30 days

Day 11-31 figure out how much time online you spend outside of Facespace. If your answer is 0 minutes 0 seconds then you need to find a new hobby. Contact a friend via e-mail instead, ask about how their day is going, go for a walk, or meet someone new. Live life unplugged form the matrix, or at least partially unplugged.

When your month is up… Post your findings/results/feelings/thoughts/frustrations. Find out what they mean to other people/your friends as well as just you.               

And if you want to, send me a letter, or email me, you can reach me at my e-mail address. Make sure I know it’s you! I filter very carefully.

Oh, and you can quote me in your papers if you wish, just comment and let me know what information  you need for citations.

Happy Friday!

Copyright ©2010 Carole Bronson. All rights Reserved.