Friday, 31 December 2010

Addicted to Facebook

With one more day to go and simply because I'm in a writing mood, I thought I'd write about my time off Facebook.

I was at my Grandma and Grandad's in Kettering and we were on about Facebook and how much I was on there. My Grandad said that he even did a sermon and mentioned a conversation that me and my Dad were having over Facebook about what was for dinner! So as you probably guessed, his sermon was about communicating... I think, and how me and my Dad were on separate floors of the house and were speaking to each other through the internet... sad eh!

As we were talking about it, it hit me that Children in Need was coming up and I hadn't decided what I was going to do. So guess what? I gave up Facebook! From the 8th of November until the 1st of January (which is tomorrow!). For those who can't do the Maths, that's 55 days! My friends all reckoned that I wouldn't last a day let alone nearly 2 months. So they placed their bets in the form of sponsors and waited.

Here I am on day 54 and I've survived. With no help from my friends may I just add, who have been sending me messages and commenting on things to make it that little bit harder for me! Thanks guys ;) To make it a bit harder for myself, I didn't deactivate my account, this way I knew that it was still accessible. I also let myself have e-mails but! I wasn't allowed to read them, so I would see that someone's wrote something on my wall etc. but I wasn't allowed to see what exactly they'd put.

I gave up Facebook simply because I was addicted. I would come home from college or wherever I'd been, turn on my computer and Facebook was the first thing I'd bring up. It was on practically all day and that's what I spent my time on instead of doing homework or anything but Facebook! Sad I know, but be honest with me, how many other people do that? Probably about 80/85% of us live on Facebook, will wait around and watch the screen just to stay up to date with our friends. It's the 21st Century way to receive and create gossip. It's changed our lives, no joke.

Not being on Facebook has let me do other things. I've been reading more, writing, I'm up to date with my homework... mostly! I actually feel better because of doing something more productive with my time. I don't get a thrill out of sitting on Facebook all day, it bores the hell out of me but as an addict you just find it so hard to go a day without it. There's a constant obsession with wanting to know what's going on in other people's lives.

So, I have learnt my lesson. Facebook isn't everything! It's fine to go on there once a day but not all day everyday! That's ridiculous! There's a world out there full of hope and surprises and you're not going to find and experience that from a networking site. There's no use saying, 'but I'm bored', go and do something else! There's books to read, pictures to be drawn or painted etc, writing to do, even homework! No-one is ever bored unless they let themselves be bored.

I'm glad I gave up Facebook because I was not only helping raise money for Children In Need but I was also helping myself.
Children In Need is an amazing charity that helps all sorts of Children who aren't are fortunate as us. A lot of work goes into that charity, all you need to do is watch the show if you need proof! I don't regret doing this, as hard as it's been, it's been worth it for Children In Need :)

2 comments:

Matt said...

Well done kiddo, life is too short, get out there and experience it. One thing that you won't say when you're lying on your death bed 'I wish I spent more time on facebook'...

Love you xx

Unknown said...

well done you! there's a lesson there for us all, regardless of our age.