My 6-week FMLA: Facebook Mental Leave Act

When I welcomed my daughter into the world this April her photo and stats were posted on Facebook a mere 7 hours after her birth.  There were 83 "likes" 73 "comments" and multiple other posts on my wall.  In the days and weeks following her birth I was touched by the cards and gifts that came in the mail.  Even more touching were the visitors who came to meet her.  I started to think, "If I net out the number of physical acts from the likes and comments, of the 310 "friends" on my Facebook page, the majority are mere acquaintances."

I came to two conclusions:  1) the way I was keeping in touch with my friends and family wasn't adequate, and 2) the amount of time spent posting updates and reading and responding to acquaintances' posts would be better spent with my baby.  I decided to take my leave from work one step further and quit Facebook cold turkey.  I posted a quick note to inform my "friends" of my hiatus and to email or call me to reach me over the next 8 weeks.  The most liberating thing I did was delete the Facebook app from my iPhone. 

Initially it felt strange.  What would I do with my downtime and what was I missing?  According to a recent report by Statistica*, of the 167 million unique Facebook U.S. visitors per month, the average time spent on the social network is 6 hours and 33 minutes.  Collectively it adds up to over 100,000 years each month. While I can't quantify the amount of time I reclaimed in my day or month, I can say that even while caring for a newborn I had time for things I normally wouldn't. My house is more organized, I cooked more meals for my family, planned more visits with friends, actually mailed cards and letters, updated my tech gadgets (new OS, new apps to keep me organized), read a book, planned and took a family vacation, started exercising, enrolled in mobile banking services (finally!), and scheduled home maintenance.  Oh, and I came back to blogging.  Again.

The irony that I will announce this blog post through the very time-sucking social media outlet I cut the cord from is not lost on me.  I returned to Facebook 2 weeks before I had planned.  The site's pervasiveness does have a place in my personal and professional life.  What my Facebook Mental Leave of Absence has taught me, however, is just like most things in life my use of social media is best in moderation.  I will enjoy the experiences and people in my life while it is happening, instead of worrying about telling all of my 310 "friends" about it.  There are things I will refrain from posting that I probably would have taken straight to Facebook in the past.  My true friends will hear about them from me directly and my acquaintances don't really care anyway. 

What could you do with an extra 6 hours and 33 minutes this month?  I encourage you to try this, whether you've just had a baby or not!

*Source:  http://venturebeat.com/2012/02/17/facebook-engagement/
Image:  http://www.recruitingblogs.com/profiles/blog/show?id=502551%3ABlogPost%3A1567043&commentId=502551%3AComment%3A1569306&xg_source=activity