The nice thing about having a smart phone is instant access to a multitude of things. Whether you want to stay on top of breaking news, track a snow storm making it's way to your city, or play games the technology is there. I have several apps that I use on a daily basis. I have one to check the road conditions for my work commute (very helpful in the winter time). I have an NHL and MLB app to keep up on the latest games and standings. Podcasts and music apps are used more than most. I have several games that eat away at my phone battery. Plenty of things to keep me occupied so I don't have to make eye contact or small conversations with people. You know, like phones are suppose to do. I also have Twitter and Facebook on my phone. One of them is close to going by the wayside.
I have stated several times over that Facebook just isn't something that I need to use on a daily basis. Facebook is just kinda around for me. It's just there to see what some friends and family are up to. The mobile app is problematic because it has a tendency to just regurgitate statuses that were posted half a day ago. It doesn't always show the most recent posts. On the other hand, Twitter is constantly updated with new stories because they know what they are doing. Unless something gets retweeted, you won't see a tweet again unless you go back on someone's timeline and purposely look for it. I suppose that has a downside in that you will miss some things from time to time. That is where Twitter has the upper hand over Facebook. Plus, there are fewer '...and you won't believe what happened next!' links. Clickbait is a terrible thing people.
It has gotten to the point where I look at the Facebook icon on my phone and think 'do I really need this on here?' In fact, I have moved it to a folder that I do not use all that often in an attempt to use it less. I have seen people go on social media breaks before and they come back with a rejuvenated approach. Lots of 'I took a few months off from Facebook and it was great!' I see those posts and wonder, 'why did you come back then?' And I understand why people come back. It's to stay connected with others. That is the point of it all isn't it? Could you go a week without social media? How about a month? A year? Does not having social media make your life better? Probably not. But think of what you could be doing with all the time you spend on those sites.
Is social media a new addiction? Do we need to set up detox centers for social media users? Let's be honest with ourselves here and admit that having instant access to social media sites can be a terrible thing. It distracts from being actually social with people that are around you. Having the willpower to set your phone or tablet down is a step in the right direction. Don't get me wrong, having Facebook and Twitter and whatever other social media you have is great, but being connected to it all the time isn't.
I feel like I am just steps away from flat out deleting the app from my phone, and just having it on the computer at home. The more I think about it, the more I like the idea. With the lack of fresh stories coming up on the mobile app, I don't feel like I miss much. Plus, just having it on one device and logging on less frequently, it would make me more excited to use it. Well, I don't know if 'excited' is the right word. More interested maybe?
One last thing. And this is kind of what is driving me towards removing Facebook from my phone all together. If I get one more goddamn request to play a stupid version of Candy Crush or Farmville, I'm likely to just snap! Okay, not really. But those notifications are super annoying.
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