I'm giving up Facebook for Lent.

The past few days have made me realise that my day-to-day routine revolves around one thing. One little blue pill I can't seem to go an hour without.

Facebook. I am addicted.

Updating, reading, posting photos and clever anecdotes. Telling people about the most mundane elements of my life.

And the useful stuff, like relaying messages, sorting out events and keeping up to date with Very Important Things.

My general day goes like this:

I wake up. I hit the snooze button a few times. I wake up enough to roll over, unplug my phone from the charger, switch on my wireless connection and read Facebook.

Seriously. That is my routine. I then check Twitter, then Instagram. Then my email. Then I check a forum or two. Then I might get out of bed, go boil the kettle, make a cup of tea. Open the back door and smoke the first cigarette of the day, whilst checking Facebook... AGAIN.

If I'm on an early shift, I will continue to get ready, and go catch my train for work. When I get on the train, I will check Facebook, Twitter, Instagram... same line-up as above.

If I'm on a late shift, I will park myself on the couch, maybe have some breakfast - but as soon as I park my bum, I have to open Facebook. Yeah sure, there are only a few updates in the 15-30 minutes periods between which I am checking, but I do it none the less. 

If I'm not at work at all that day, I will continue to check Facebook in these 15-30 minute periods whilst idly watching TV, until such a time as I have to do something else (Luckily, this isn't before long, because if I had too much time, I am pretty sure I would remain on the sofa, until my battery ran out).

When at work, I check Facebook before I go in the door. I then check it at lunch. And straight after I come out the door at home time.

I eat a meal on the couch instead of at the table? My phone is right next to me, with Facebook open.

I go ANYWHERE, I end up checking Facebook.

 It is getting beyond ridiculous, it's obsessive, and unnecessary, and a ridiculous waste of time, battery power, and the data on my mobile phone when I am not at home.

Seriously. How did my life end up this way?

It wouldn't be so bad, but I have to, HAVE TO make sure I read every status update since the last time I looked at it. SRSLY?!

The final straw has come since Christmas. I am an avid reader of books, I could finish a decent wedge of a book in 3 days, I could consume a good 3 or 4 a week if I tried hard enough.

I would read into the early hours, until my eyes felt heavy or I'd fall asleep and wake up with print on my cheek.

These days? I'm reading bloody Facebook into the early hours. Prior to Christmas I started a book I still haven't finished. Since Christmas, I was bought the Song of Fire and Ice/Game of Thrones book series, that I was looking forward to so so much, and two months later I am still not even half way through the first book! Disappoint!

I even had a days leave booked from work with the SOLE PURPOSE of reading. I didn't read a damn thing. Because every time I try to, I OPEN FACEBOOK.

The development of smartphones has not helped this. It's too easy. Just push the button, read those new updates. Post that random thought you thought about. Upload the picture you took this morning of your cat in ANOTHER cute pose. Meanwhile, poor book sits there unloved.


And so it has come to this. It has to stop. I have researched google for people who have left Facebook, temporarily or indefinitely, or forever.  

Some people go back to Facebook, and find they don't use it like they used to. Others have never gone back.

Some people find their social life suffers, because they don't know what is going on for the whole time they are away from it. On the flip side, the rediscover other interests, they focus on their work, their studies, they find their creativity again.

I will be recording my Facebook Detox here, for people who are interested. I will still be using Twitter (Something I don't use as frequently as Facebook) and Instagram (Because I love a good photo).


I will officially log out of Facebook on Wednesday. I would like to say I will manage it through till Easter, but we will see how it goes!