On being Facebook-less

I am a few weeks into yet another break from Facebook. In my circle, we call this "going Sabo," a hugely affectionate nod to the guy who shows us how to keep ourselves healthy by stepping back from the whirlwind when we need to. I really needed to. The great strength of social media is that it can amplify social issues. The great danger of social media is that a lot of us are doing that amplification into an echo chamber, serving no real purpose but to make us all feel like we're *doing* something (even when really most of our audience already thinks like we do).

Its lesser danger is that it can wear out us sensitive types by repeatedly bombarding us with the same handful of crises. The world can seem really bleak when I look at it primarily through a social media lens. Don't get me wrong: it looks pretty fucking bleak from out here too. But I can focus my energy on real action, hopefully not aimed into an echo chamber, and then look at pretty flowers and happy activities and adorable photos on Instagram (the social media I'm keeping) and really give my psyche a rest.

And then there's the time factor. For me, Facebook is an irresistible bog, tempting me in with its little endorphin faeries and then refusing to let me go once I'm sunk in the delightful muck. There is no wading in a bog: you're either all the way in or all the way out. I choose out.

In the couple three weeks since I quit, I have stayed in touch with friends, stayed reasonably well informed about world insanity, and gotten a whole shitload of stuff done, including some reading, some civic action, some self-improvement, some exercise, and some healthier eating. I'm happier and more productive and more organized and less distracted and less panicky about the survival of the country and our species (because what the hell good does it do to panic!). And, with great love to my friends who are struggling, I must say it's a relief to have fewer sad personal stories passing before my eyes. I was carrying a lot of empathy weight to no real purpose, so many of my friends being 100s if not 1000s of miles away from my ability to really help them.

Anyway, I recommend this. I have my brain back.