Withdrawal Symptoms: Week 1

pc

I have been Facebook free for 34 1/2 hours. Can you believe it? I would hesitate to say that this is the longest I've spent "off the grid"; however, all the other times I've been in another country, and have still managed to check it on a hotel computer with a backwards keyboard.

Immediately after the "great log-off of 2010" as it will henceforth be known, the withdrawal symptoms kicked in. My palms began to tingle, my fingers tensed, and my mind raced with all the poignant and witty status updates or wall posts I could be making. My fingers, on autopilot, would open my phone and search for the app where the app used to be. They would open my browser and search for where the bookmark used to be. Having prepared for this autopilot effect, I deleted these shortcuts to my fix, as well as blocked the email notifications. The nighttime has proven to be the hardest, as it is the time when loneliness rears its head and distraction is most invited. I will persevere.

On this first night I had a stress dream. During this dream I came to school the next day, opened my laptop for class, and SOMEHOW Facebook had attached itself to my desktop! I couldn't get rid of it or resist its siren call. The little red notification blared at me, indicating several possible comments from friends on various aspects of my profile. The curiosity ate at me, I had to look! I clicked the link, and all was lost. Failure in the first 24 hours. I woke the next morning, tired from a restless sleep, and piecing together my reality. Was it real? Had Facebook defeated me in my dreams as Freddy Krueger had brutally murdered a young Johnny Depp? No, I was safe. For now...

The morning after, the first of many (31 to be exact), I did what the majority of addicts do: I compensated, and I replaced. I tweeted. Like a heroine addict using methadone to wean herself clean, I tweeted. I tweeted, and refreshed Twitter, and tweeted again. The problem with Twitter, is that it is not as popular with the "mean girls from high school who have gained substantial weight since" segment of the population or the "ex-boyfriends" segment. Well, at least not with mine. It's a healthier, less addictive alternative, and far less exciting, but it got me through the first 24 hours.

Today is day two and I feel better. I have received several "good luck!"'s and "I couldn't do it!"'s from peers. Comforting, but a little sad when you think of what it really means. This is no joke; our generation is becoming slave to the mighty Facebook. I hope by stepping back, I can help others to as well.