Social Sacrifice

Since it is the season of Lent now, I've been thinking about sacrifice, abstinence and related topics. Last Wednesday, I went to have Father Joe rub the ashes on my forehead, and I will observe the Catholic obligation of meatless Fridays, but I have not really committed to give up anything specific for the next month. My lovely and talented daughter wrote the following piece for her work website:

"Until recently, I hadn’t given any thought to what I would give up for Lent this year. I’ve half-heartedly sacrificed chocolate and sweets or sworn off my favorite seasonal candy in years past, but a light bulb went off last week, however, when I read this Wall Street Journal article about parents planning to give up Facebook for 40 days.

Facebook is a bit of an addiction. I log in every day during my commute to the city. I follow email notifications for friendship requests or wall postings. I crave Facebook. I may not be as enthusiastic as 39-year-old Kevin Shine, detailed in the WSJ article, who logs in “as much as 20 times a day,” but I do agree with his statement - Facebook is “my candy.”

So, to friends and colleagues on Facebook, I’m quitting cold turkey…until April 12, at least. And I’m not the only one who’s giving up this form of virtual interaction. Steve Johnson’s piece in the Chicago Tribune suggests 10 creative and funny ideas for what to do with all the time you’d save by not checking Facebook.

Social media helps us keep in touch with family & friends, to network, and even to connect with brands. It’s also quick, and in our often lightening-speed paced world, anything that helps maintain relationships with a few key strokes gets a thumbs-up in my book. Living without Facebook for the next 40 days will be a challenge, especially for a digital native such as myself, but I won’t be completely out of the loop... I’ll still be Tweeting and texting. Is that cheating?" - by Skye M. From 360 Days In A PR Life
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I personally don't understand the attraction to these social networking sites. Why would you want anyone and everyone to know all your business and know exactly what you are doing and where you are at any given moment of the day? Giving it up, at least temporarily is an excellent idea, in my estimation. Is it cheating?...maybe... but it's a step in the right direction if you ask me.