Ten Reasons I Don't Facebook

I have a few friends who, in good fun, like to give me hard time about not being on Facebook. I have to admit that it is slightly tempting, but overall my reaction is a resounding no. Please don't misunderstand, I'm not saying no one should be on Facebook. This is a personal choice, based on some specific principles for me. So, in an effort to explain why you won't find me there and to remind myself of why I don't have 500 friends *grin*, here are a few of my thoughts...

1. I would want to check it all the time. I'm not going to sit here and try to tell you that I'm just too busy, but it is my heart's desire for my focus to be on my family and I know I would be pulled in by it. I'm working hard on self discipline and I don't need another challenge.

2. Relationships. I think our culture has lost so much as each new social networking technology is launched. I think we are on dangerous ground as a society in regards to our ability to interact with one another and how we define friendship and love. Call me old fashioned, but I don't think my first community is online.

3. I have rejection issues. When I maxed out at 10 friends, I would be devastated...

4. I had someone come up to me recently at a funeral, of all places, and told me that she had no idea we had a third child in our family. She thinks she saw a picture of Abigail and I on Facebook. Um, seriously. That's just plain scary.

5. There probably are some people that I really just don't want to hear from or be "friends" with. And I would not have it in me to say no. I realize how I sound, but what can I say, it's the truth. I've never been real good with fakeness.

6. I do not need to know that Sally in Wallakazoo updated that her son picked his nose and now she's taking her daughter to ballet. Oh and by the way, after that, she's going to have her eyebrows waxed.

7. I have had people tell me that if I want to keep up with them and communicate, then I would have to get on Facebook. What?! This does nothing to assuade the inner rebel lurking within me. Also, see number 2 above.

8. Back to the inner rebel I just mentioned, I've got this thing with technology. It can be a very, very good thing. But I think it has contributed to our society's plague of instant gratification and it will only get worse. Job performance, marriages...we're losing the art of living and the satisfaction that comes with it.

9. My sister, Jaclyn, and Richie would kill me. Richie doesn't get the enticement of it. He's around high schoolers all day who eat, sleep, and breathe this stuff, so to him it's silly. (Richie, if I've misrepresented this, feel free to comment or just tell me I'm a goon and I'll update this.) Jaclyn, on the other hand, made me go through a series of rituals, including giving her my 34th child if I caved in, committing to never joining Facebook. *chesire grin*

10. I'm a slacker. I don't want to have to learn a bunch of new lingo and stuff. I'm just beginning to feel like I'm getting the hang of this blogging thing. Bumper stickers belong on cars, not my profile. And since when did it become acceptable to write on walls? *grin*

There are times when I feel like I'm missing out, but for the most part not. Unless God specifically tells me to join, and I mean burning bush specific, I won't be there. And if He does, let's hope I never have a 34th child...