Goodbye Social Networks

Two nights ago, I did it!   I cut the cord, meaning I "deactivated" my Facebook account, deleted my Instagram, and removed the apps from my devices.  I can't explain exactly why that night was the night.  Honestly, I have contemplated before whether Facebook keeps us all more connected or less connected, and often question if Facebook is just a façade of what we want people to see.  But I never questioned it to the point that I wanted to eliminate it from my life.  Afterall, I love seeing pictures of my friends and family, their children, where people are vacationing, my father's random thoughts about sports and politics, etc. and occasionally will peruse an article of interest from a posted link or YouTube video.  Regardless, last night was the night of "deactivation".  Am I up for the challenge?  I'm starting this blog to ease me through the transition and to "log" how the process of elimination goes.  Will I become more connected with the people I consider close in my life because the use of phones, lunch dates, and email will come back into play?  Afterall, if someone really knows me, they have my phone number, right?  Or will I start to feel alienated, alone, and disconnected...because everyone else in the world and in my circle is still consumed with Facebook and Instagram?  We will see.

Two nights ago, my evening began by meandering around New York City with one of my dearest friends, who I've known since college.  I met her in Soho after she finished work.  We popped in a few shops, grabbed a gourmet chocolate chip cookie from an adorable bakery, and then continued on to meet one of her friends at a swanky after-work Calvin Klein event (was not prepared for that, in my holey, tattered jeans & boots), but we sipped some bubbly and all was fine.  My friend and I then went for dinner at a nearby fun & trendy hotspot, serving upscale, overpriced Asian fusion cuisine in crunched, elbow-to-elbow tables.  We settled into our typical girl chatter over a nice glass of Cabernet.  As enjoyable as our dinner and conversation was, I couldn't help but notice that we spent a good bit of time scrutinizing our pictures from the evening... deciding which photo finish to use, who would post what, what to hashtag, who to tag, where to check us in...? 

After dinner, my friend and I were taking trains in different directions, so we hugged and said our goodbyes.  I found myself literally "power-walking" to the closest subway stop for my train.  Perhaps it was the second glass of Cab or the pleasant evening air, or the "calm" after our non-stop evening, but I suddenly stopped on the corner of Lexington & 53rd, looked around, and told myself to slow down!  Why was I in such a hurry?  Was it to get to a stopping point to see how many "likes" or comments we had accrued throughout the night?  Maybe.  Maybe not.  But why do I care so much?  I sometimes wonder am I truly living in the moment and fully taking in my life experiences and day-to-day activities, or am I creating these experiences because i want an interesting, fun post on my Facebook?  And is the fun part actually seeing what my "friends" reactions are through their comments and "likes"?  I admit, I am selective with what I post on Facebook.  I tend to keep my opinions to myself, and only post the most flattering pictures of myself and my kids, of course :). Therefore, my Facebook doesn't reflect my whole, entire life.  In addition, sometimes I wonder how many true and real interactions and conversations with people am I missing out on because I have my eyes intent scrolling through my Facebook and often music pulsing through my headphones.  Seems to work pretty well as a "do not disturb" sign.  

I know I'm not the first to have these sentiments about social networking, but I'm writing this blog to be more of a true account and reflection of my life.  I plan to share how this process of elimination goes, and how it impacts or changes my real-life relationships.  I will share this with my family and eventually my close circle of friends.....maybe my "friends" who actually take notice that I'm missing from Facebook :). 

Oh, and by the way, I fully intend to remain on Pinterest because I absolutely need the creative inspirations!!