Today I temporarily deactivated my Facebook account. I hope I get the will power to make it permanent.
As much as I enjoy using the site to keep up with friends (and play Scrabulous with them), I find it depressing to get "friend" requests from people in my past who don't send personal messages. If I haven't heard from someone in months and they send me an automated request to be my "friend," it doesn't make me feel like a friend. It makes me feel like a commodity.
Of course, without Facebook, the onus is now on me to make a greater effort to stay in touch with the people I care about. It's something I want and need to do, and I think I'll do it better now that—having given up that site—I have an extra few minutes in my day.
Apologies to those who have sent me "friend" requests and not received a response. Drop me a line or, if you have my phone number, give me a phone call. If we've spoken before, odds are I long for your conversation—and if I do, I long for it far more than I do your electronic correspondence. Plus, my typing fingers (and shoulders) and computer-strained eyes will thank you.
