My 9-day Facebook detox

I spent almost ten days without Facebook. For me, that is a massive achievement. The withdrawal symptoms were devastating. It was so funny because there was nothing I could do. The app had been deleted from all my gadgets. It got better over a few days. I downloaded it on the ninth day. I scrolled down and read a few posts. It felt like I had just discovered a toxic waste dump site. Instant contamination. This is something I was part of for 10 years. I did not understand how I could feel that way in just a few days. The reason I downloaded it was to write about something that bothered me. I couldn't do it on Facebook anymore after going back. It didn't fit in with what everybody was talking about. It was not going to generate conversation or even get "Likes". That's how Facebook works. 

I have always been a writer, but shy about it. Never shared a lot of my writings until very late. And I never wrote to posture or to instantly react to anything before applying my mind. But Facebook got me onto a bandwagon of online activists that write not from the heart as I used to, but from a place that lacked depth and meaning. At least to me. On the day I got the app back on my phone, I could not share my thoughts on that platform the way I used to. I could have summed up my deep thoughts in a few lines and risk everyone misreading it, but on Facebook we tend to focus more on the response and not necessarily the content or level of maturity of the reaction. So I decided to retreat to blogging. Writing more thoughtfully even though sometimes I am anxious about what I am writing is any good. However, it's just joyful once I express myself without limits or fear that it might be too long for people to read. The writing is more about how I feel and giving any interested reader an experience. 

My almost ten days Facebook detox was great because there is some value in self-examination. Writing is a religion I neglected because that's where I found I engaged with relevant people. Sometimes it would be just one person and it would be enough. But Facebook got me into the habit of taking my thoughts to a place where I could not express myself honestly. Everyone suddenly becomes an expert on all kinds of issues. And I found that writing demanded a lot patience. Writing meaningfully does not come out of desire, but necessity. Ngugi wa Thiong'o once shared the secret to writing and said, "Write, write, write and write again and you will get it right". 

I have also learned not to take advice on how to be a good writer. I believe that will come with my personal experience and the books I have enjoyed over time. Thank you Facebook for the lesson of self discovery.