Ha, caught your attention with this blog title, didn’t I? I’m not talking about drugs here folks. I’m talking about social media addiction. Or what I’d like to refer to as “timesuck”. My timesuck of choice is my personal Facebook page. What’s yours?
After realizing I wasn’t accomplishing as much as desired when working from home, I wondered... How many hours of our lives are spent on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and numerous social media platforms? How many hours of productivity are lost? How much precious real world human interaction disappears into the black hole of timesuck? These are questions that nearly brought me to the point of deleting my personal Facebook page. Thankfully, I allowed logic to overcome emotion. Upon Googling my inquiry, I found that this is not a new topic of internet discussion. (No big surprise.)
The Huffington Post reports that the average American spends 8 hours a month on Facebook alone. Only EIGHT? That’s nothing! And that doesn’t include the other timesucks. This week I honestly had to take a break from my addiction, overwhelmed by world events and the realization that I wasn’t putting enough of my time to good use.
I let everyone know that I needed a break by posting on my Facebook page, of course. I even deleted the Facebook apps from my mobile devices, figuring if anyone really needed to get in touch with me they have my email and cell number. Did I mention my texting/iMessage addiction? Even my mother texts these days. It’s a blessing and a curse. She likes to spend hours chatting my ear off on the phone. I love you Momma, but I’m a busy girl. Alas, that’s another blog post for another day.
I’m now back on “the Facebook”. I’m focusing more on my FB artist page, attempting to only periodically check and post on my personal page. I found somewhat of a solution by using one browser specifically for work and creative purposes, along with a separate browser for timesuck breaks. Celebrity gossip, ugh. I’ll admit, I’ve found myself wasting hours upon hours. Makes me feel dirty and ashamed. Seriously. I truly value privacy and respect. Did you see poor pregnant Kim Kardashian getting harassed by the obnoxious paparazzi leaving the airport? Fame frightens and intrigues me.
Although I was quite productive today, I did get sucked back in when friends started sending Facebook messages. I hate ignoring my friends. See? I’m already rationalizing my addiction.
