Why I gave up Facebook

I quit Facebook earlier this week, cold turkey. I was waiting for my 8:00 am class to start, doing my usual scrolling and I realized, I really do not care if a person I went to high school with and talked to maybe twice is feeling sick or what my former coworker is up to. I do not give a damn where a person I was close to thirteen years ago went on vacation. Most certainly, I do not care how "cute" these people's babies are and how much they love them. They only post about it multiple times a day, I get it. 

Call me apathetic, or whatever you like, but I realized how much I really don't need Facebook. If I want to hear gossip and complaints, I'll just go to my hen-house of a workplace. At least there I get paid to listen to these people instead of using up my data. If I care about you, I'll keep in touch with you. I've even called my younger brother these past few days. On the landline. (whaaaat???)

I accrued this habit of scrolling the app morning, noon, and night, which is not uncommon for my generation, or even my parents' generation now. It was unhealthy, I gained nothing from it but frustration and occasional jealousy, some people went to some really nice resorts.In order to kick the habit, I replaced the Facebook app on my phone with the iPhone news app that I customized so that I would actually want to read the stuff. I have learned more about the world this week with that app than I have in years on Facebook. (No dad, I still won't read the paper. I can get an electronic version of the news stories for free on the phone that I have on hand anyway.)

Shane jokes at me to "get off my high horse". It's not a horse of any height, it's a relief. A detox of my brain that was built up for seven years. That habit took me through high school and half of college. I still have my Instagram account, I love looking at my friends' pictures (my best friend is a really good photographer). And puppies, who doesn't love puppies?

"So what does this have to do with yoga?" Inner peace, man. I have gained so much inner peace from kicking this habit. Even giving up social media for a short period of time can bring so much inner peace. We spend a disgusting amount of time comparing our social media personas to the social media personas of others, it's exhausting. Living to post instead of living to live. Few things are more draining than that. Call me crazy, but I care more about memories in my brain than memories on a website.

So how will I share this article if I don't share it through Facebook. It'll get around. If it doesn't, I write for myself anyway.

(Inner) peace out,
Dylan