My little sister is 19. She has friends, though not close, who are married and starting to have kids. And I have read these kids' facebook statuses recently, and been pretty appalled at what I read. (concluding first of all that maturity and marriage/parenthood do not come simultaneously, and second of all that there are no boundaries anymore to what you can write on facebook) It seems for the most part, my age on up at least has some self awareness about what they post on facebook (although there are definitely exceptions to that).

However, I've recently been really, I mean really annoyed by what facebook has become. It used to be a place for connecting with friends, for posting a status that was that- just a status (Natalie is... eating ice cream, or at class, etc... before the status format changed), and for posting a few photos here and there and writing on someones' wall.

Now it is a place for social vomit. I'm not so high and mighty to say I have never been apart of it, or that I'm not now, but I mean really! Through facebook I find out just how bitter someone is about their life. I find out how stupid their husband is. I find out how annoying their kid is. Or I find out how amazing their kid is. I see their newest car, or their new house, or... fill in the blank. I see people post vulgarities, less-than-mild cuss words, dissing of bosses and employers, drama, photos from last Saturday's drinking binge, etc.

We post these things without a thought for the consequences. Last week I was listening to MJ and he was talking about the teachers who got fired for posting pictures of themselves with a drink in their hand (a little ridiculous, yes) but it goes to show you just how big of a deal these things can become.

I think it's sad that a lot of these kids don't even know a world without all this social media in their faces 24/7. I remember a day when I was in junior high, and if you had an e-mail account of your own you were pretty cool. But if you had AOL Instant Messenger, you had really arrived.

There were no cell phones (ok, there were, but not everyone had one), there was no facebook, or twitter, or myspace, none of that. Even throughout all of high school and half of college I went without any of the social media. And my cell phone had a limited texting plan. Even after getting facebook and myspace in college, I still was very limited in how I allowed myself to use it. I still took the time to call my friends just to talk (imagine that!) and meet up for coffee. Those things didn't seem like any sort of inconvenience like they do now.

I miss the simplicity of life before facebook. I feel silly saying something like that, and yet it's true. I don't like what facebook has done to me as a social human being. It has made me lazy, nosy, borderline stalker-ish (admit it, you too!), and so over-connected that I'm actually more disconnected than I ever was in the past. It is disgusting, that's what it is. It makes me sad that there are kids today who don't even remember life before social networking. Never thought the '90s, or even the early 2000's, would look so good, did you?

I'm thinking of going on a facebook fast. I don't know when, or for how long, or how extensive, but I think I need a facebook cleanse. I need to get that crap out of my system. Learn how to engage with people again. Learn to sit quietly and read a book. Meet a friend for coffee. Pray, read my Bible more. Call a friend on the phone simply to talk. Take up a hobby. After all, that's how I used to occupy my time.

On another note: Mick Jagger, dancing around stage in his geriatric-esque tennis shoes and skinny little pants, is just plain weird. I don't care how big of a rock star the guy was in the 60s, or whenever it was.

On to another week of work: here's to a good work week for everyone!

And Happy Valentines Day!

Edit:
I just now took the plunge and de-activated my account temporarily. I don't know how long it will be, but I feel relieved I did it. I deleted the app off of my phone, and am ready to see how it goes. Hopefully I will make it longer than a day- ha!