Why I Deleted Facebook from my iPhone

Disconnecting from mobile Facebook

Disconnecting from mobile Facebook

I deleted Facebook from my iPhone.

Now, I didn’t give up Facebook. I’ll just be engaging with it on a less frequent and more intentional basis – on my computer. When I had the idea to disconnect mobile, I was surprised when I started paying attention to my usage:

  • Taking a peek before I got out of bed – check
  • Looking while I waited for my coffee to brew – check
  • Reading while on the toilet – check
  • Standing in line at the grocery store – check
  • Paying attention while in the same room as my wife and daughter – check
  • Facebooking while waiting for dentist appointments – check
  • Commenting while driving – check
  • Escaping the world around me to post in a virtual one – check
  • Stopping the action in great moments to post a thought, picture or video – check

As I added all of these up, I realized that I was trading engaging in my own present life for living in everyone else’s life and experiences. No offense. It’s great to engage and see what’s up…but multiple times a day? Nope.

And, as I looked around, I was saddened by everyone’s heads being down in their phone instead of up and into their present life. Looking around, it seems like an epidemic. Take a peek and see for yourself. At the end of the day, I wanted to own my own life. And, in the mindset of ensuring I am a Creator this year, I deleted the app from my phone to align my actions with my values.

A week in and the planets are still in the same order. I’m happier and freer for it. My life; my terms.

For me, I just eliminated the mindless time-wasting it causes by deleting the app from my iPhone. It spurred a conversation between Rachel and me about, “What is a healthy amount of time to spend on Facebook daily?”

I don’t know what that number is and I’m sure it is different for everyone. Rachel and I see this one differently and that’s a-ok. I have so little margin that I need to protect my time more vigilantly. I aspire to be better engaged and wanted to re-allocate that time in creating experiences for Rachel, Brooklyn – my family and friends – and myself.

I still love the idea of Facebook. I love the connections and being able to peek in on friends. I just don’t know about the crack-like addiction and escapism that mobile presents, so (for now) I’ll be off mobile and hanging out less frequently. And, hopefully, my interactions will be more meaningful when I am around. Heck, it may even spur me to pick-up the phone and call my friends to say, “Hello, how are you?”

Random Quote

“The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today.”

— H Jackson Brown

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