Facebook Fast: Day 1

 Yesterday was the 15th of September. The first of a forty day fast from social media, which, for me, means Facebook. I want to record my experience of this fasting here on a daily basis. Just for reflection mainly. 

I was not feeling especially challenged about social media. For me, while it has been a problem in the past, these days it feels like it has a place in my life but it feels more integrated and not that pervasive. However when I heard that some people from my church life group were going to be doing a 40 day social media fast, it was the fasting itself I felt challenged about.

I asked the Lord for a theme for 2020, back in January, and he told me that 2020 for me is about fasting and feasting. I was conscious that I hadn't yet fasted and we are in September already!

My friends are following a fast program tied in to a book launch on the subject of fasting social media, the author of which is 'Wendy Speake'.

I have had a lot of trouble trying to download the book, so initially it felt like I was just cut adrift. I knew I was fasting but wasn't sure quite why. Inevitably the light-switch moment came, in fact many of them came. Do you know what I mean by light-switch moment. It is that point in a night-time power cut where you look for candles to ease the darkness and because you cant see properly into the cupboards, you go to switch the light on. And then you remember why you need ight in the first place.

My Light switch moment was my first feeling of frustration that I couldnt look at Facebook, and then I had a few seemingly profound thoughts about my experience of being off social media that I immediately thought of posting these on Facebook, you know, about how I wasn't posting on Facebook. Clearly there is a real pull here. I think they call it virtue signaling. My dopamine hit is attention through Facebook. I found myself thinking about it many times over in the day. I knew this before. I've even fasted Facebook before, successfully for month. It really is a substitute and the hit I get has become a bit of an idol.