I admit it.
I am on Facebook.
A lot.
In the early morning.
Mid-morning too.
Afternoon for sure.
On into the evening.
Burning the midnight oil.
I can't help myself.
It's there, isn't it?
A constant stream of information.
Status updates.
Sharing what my friends are doing.
Check ins.
Saying where they are going.
Photographs.
From where they've been,
are currently standing
or went once, long ago.
Notes posted
with recipes,
frustrations,
hopes and fears.
Links to a myriad
of online treasures…
videos, articles, blogs,
rants, reviews…
You Name It.
It's there.
Constantly changing.
Always evolving.
Can't keep up.
Even if I try.
Frantically.
To read it all.
It's an impossibility.
My Life Is Out There Too.
The online one.
A mirror of my reality.
A glimpse inside My Life.
A snapshot.
Like a Polaroid.
Emerging before your eyes.
Via a daily status update.
I try to write just one per day.
I set a limit.
Of only one.
A rule I break.
Every now and then.
I have a million of 'em.
Sunrise.
Burnt toast.
Baking cookies.
Going shopping.
Making supper.
Date night.
Church.
Family.
Friends.
Vacation.
The Cat.
Funny stories.
Observations.
Sunset.
Anything goes.
Everything under the sun.
And the moon and stars too.
You name it!
I avoid politics.
And sports.
Except my children's teams.
That's my choice.
To refrain.
God I believe in.
I talk about Him sometimes.
And share scripture.
That's my choice too.
It is America.
Land of the Free.
Home of the brave.
Where Facebook was invented.
Social Networking for all the Earth.
On the World Wide Web.
Yikes!
THAT'S A BIG PLACE.
Getting BIGGER all the time.
Do you blog?
Do you tweet?
Do you Facebook?
Yes.
No. Well, not yet.
Yes.
For me.
Because it's fun.
An outlet.
Trying to curb my online time.
To live more in the moment.
And be fully present.
In the Here and Now.
Not, "uh, huh'ing" aloud, as I type a comment in.
How do you find a balance?
Where does Social Networking fit into your life?
Is it All or Nothing?
It may have to be for me.
I don't know how to stop
checking my News Feed,
or posting status updates.
And sharing pictures.
And commenting.
Always commenting.
Because it's expected.
The polite thing to do.
Interact.
Give and take.
Conversations.
Constantly running.
Nearly 24 hours a day.
Sometimes I'm lonely.
Looking for a friend.
Or feeling sad.
Looking for a distraction.
Or bubbling over with joy.
Smiling as I type away.
Or in between.
Moody and melancholy.
Not sayin' much.
Just reading.
Regardless of my mood,
I show up there.
http://www.Facebook.com
Each and every day.
To Social Network
I log in.
Again and again.
Not in a stalker way.
Not being nosey.
Like Gladys Kravitz.
You put your business out there.
You control your story.
I'm just looking for conversation.
Looking for lighthearted people.
People I know.
Most of them in person.
Family.
Friends.
Acquaintances.
Some virtual strangers too.
But not anymore.
Now, they are friends.
We're sharing hearts.
Real People.
From my Childhood.
From my School Days.
From my Work Days.
From my Children's School Days.
From my Church.
From my Gym.
From my Neighborhood.
I love spending time with them.
Friends from near and far.
United in cyberspace.
Looking for brave people.
To emulate.
Looking for trouble.
That sometimes finds me.
Smiles and laughter too.
Tears at times.
My hearts swells with shared joy.
And shares the hurts as well.
I carry your burdens.
You carry mine.
Lighter for both, since shared.
Now what?
How do I untangle myself?
From this addiction?
Deactivate?
NOOOOOO!
I don't want to.
I can get it under control.
I know I can.
Willpower.
Set limits.
Post less.
Comment less.
Stay away.
Live offline.
Power the computer down.
Because from sleep mode…
I just wake it up.
To peek.
Just a little.
Now and then.
At my e-mail notifications.
At my News Feed.
At the "Likes", on my profile.
It is a vicious circle.
Never ending.
My name is Janean.
And I'm a Facebookaholic.
Now that I've made my confession, and I feel a little lighter, it's time to buzz up this post. Where else?! ON FACEBOOK. Irony. At its best.
A few weeks ago, Tara Scalzo, owner of Lotus Blu Media, asked ON FACEBOOK, "Quick survey for my Facebook friends – what role does Social Media play in your life…do you just use it as a tool to BS with your friends or does it play a more important role? I'm working on a big project, so help a girl out."
She had many wonderful replies that were honest, heart tugging and full of emotion. I replied as well. She asked to quote me in her presentation. Of course I said, "YES!" A heady feeling indeed. For a budding writer. This is what I wrote:
"To give and receive encouragement.
To laugh and cry with people I care about.
To swap recipes and tell funny stories too.
Gathered some people together in groups with common goals…a book club, a group of women, a group of local artists and a group page for my blog…community, togetherness, a sense that you're not alone in this world that can feel overwhelming as fast as it comes at you sometimes.”
~ Janean Baird
© 2011 Janean Baird, Turquoise Tangles
Turquoise Tangles on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Turquoise-Tangles/201433139889647
Lotus Blu Media on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/LotusBluMedia
Lotus Blu Media
http://www.lotusblumedia.com/
Turquoise Tangles 
Tara writes:Awesome! You captured exactly how I feel as well. Glad we can be Facebookaholics together!
Originally posted by anonymous:
Thanks, Tara!
So glad we met there, in Facebook Land!
Friends of a Friend, and all that.
I love you, Fellow Facebookaholic.
I've enjoyed burnin' the midnight oil IM'ing and commenting alongside you as you crack each other up and share hearts in cycberspace, until we meet again.
Love,
Janean
Forgive me, I didn't read every word. Do you need help? Here's the simple solution:Facebook is Anti-Social-Networking. Because it keeps you busy with what your friends want you to stay busy with, not what you choose to stay busy with. Facebook is going to sell the mentality of the Matrix (see your addiction for further details) while Google is going to build the Matrix. If that thing would ever be real.Get a life! A real one I mean; one that you control. Not your virtual friends.
Originally posted by bentrein:
You're forgiven, Ben. You have bigger fish to fry. Or should I say crocs, snakes and poisonous centipedes? I knew I was rambling, even as I was writing, but I left it as is, just the same.
Originally posted by bentrein:
Well stated. Thank you for that succinct summary. I am learning this lesson. How to be more efficient in using Facebook the way I want to, and not the way Facebook wants me to.
Originally posted by bentrein:
Google+? I'm "on" there too. I haven't taken the time to learn the ins and outs or play much with the features. Right now I can't see Google+ taking over the hold that Facebook has on Social Networking.
Originally posted by bentrein:
I am learning to walk away. To unplug. To live. Writing here at Opera has been a wonderful outlet. A place to put the words I had been writing in status updates and a plethora of comments as well. This is so much better. It's more lasting than a fleeting status update. Even with the improvements I've made, this post was needing to be written. It'd been rattling around in my head for quite awhile. ~ Janean
Originally posted by jbaird:
🙂
Originally posted by bentrein:
Are you tellin' me that's just A Writer Thing, Ben? That it's not me goin' crazy, just the words needin' to be written? ~ Janean
Exactly. Sometimes something just has to come out. Like a great turd, but then much more enjoyable for others; but for me usually just as pleasant to get rid of! :DYou have nothing to worry about. You're not weirder than any of us.
Originally posted by bentrein:
Thank you for that, Ben. Sometimes you just know when you find Your People. 🙂
nice one.. real facebookoholic.. think we all recognize bits and pieces.. if not all of it 😉
Originally posted by thefunfacts:
James,Welcome to Turquoise Tangles!So glad I'm not alone in my Facebookaholicism. I'll have you know I haven't posted a status update in two days, but today isn't over yet… And I have logged in, to read a few posts, more than once, and it's only a little after 2 p.m. *sigh*Still trying to get it under control.Doing some better. ~ Janean
You are always honest, dear. Love you, Janean!
About bloody time you showed up! I even sent PMs but you never showed. I don't "join" anything as data-hungry as FB … they want too much of my data … not for any "friends" I might make there, but for FB itself. I don't mind my friends here on MyOpera knowing things about me, but I'll tell 'em myself, what I want them to know.Anyway, back to the topic … how are things going? How's the Big Guy? These are the things we want to know about our friends.
Well, I might be and I was addicted in facebook, but simple, I just needed distraction and I can say it does helped me, so for me not bad nor good but I do not regrets…In my case, mentally sickness is just part of my recovery, it feels like never ended story…but that's part of the game…Anyway, I did read your post Janean but not all, it's too long for me…So how's your life? It's good to see your new post, and I'm glad to visit your blog now and then..are we still friends? Just ask! stupid me what kind of question is that…forget it, that's me sometimes…:D By the way, I've learned something about social media…it's part of my life too…but shouldn't losing reality of course…:up: