Logging off Facebook and Twitter for 40 days
By Naomi Leanage, Youth Speak News
During the Lenten season, Catholics prepare their mind and soul for the commemoration of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. One way we can do this is through sacrificing something to eliminate a distraction that may divert our attention to God.
While most people give up pleasures such as chocolate or junk food, this year I have chosen to surrender my main method of communication and entertainment: social networking. To be specific, I have given up the two main social networking sites I use — Facebook and Twitter, tools that most teenagers cannot go a day without, let alone five minutes without refreshing the page.
For someone who heavily relies on these sites to communicate with friends and could easily spend hours on them, this is proving to be a big challenge. When I first informed my friends of this Lenten promise most of them snickered and said I wouldn’t last a day, while the rest stared at me in shock and wished me a meaningful good luck.
While most people give up pleasures such as chocolate or junk food, this year I have chosen to surrender my main method of communication and entertainment: social networking. To be specific, I have given up the two main social networking sites I use — Facebook and Twitter, tools that most teenagers cannot go a day without, let alone five minutes without refreshing the page.
For someone who heavily relies on these sites to communicate with friends and could easily spend hours on them, this is proving to be a big challenge. When I first informed my friends of this Lenten promise most of them snickered and said I wouldn’t last a day, while the rest stared at me in shock and wished me a meaningful good luck.
Social networking has become such a significant part of our lives that it is hard to imagine life without it.
As Catholic youth living and growing up in the age of technology, we sometimes get carried away in the online world and leave no time for God. Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice in giving up His life for us — the least I can do is give up my online social life for a mere 40 days. During this time, I hope to strengthen and deepen my relationship with Jesus and God through taking the extra time I have to reflect and pray. When doing so, I won’t find my mind wandering off with other thoughts such as what “he” posted about “her” or what “she” did last night.
So far, I have successfully resisted temptation and fought the urge to log on.
From time to time, I unconsciously type Facebook or Twitter into my URL, though I am getting used to not refreshing and reading news feeds. It is a challenge when needing to contact classmates to discuss an assignment or find out what I missed in class. But without this big distraction, I can use the 40 days to focus on more important things. I can focus on my walk with God rather than what secular society is worried and gossiping about. In the end, it is my relationship with God that will bring me happiness.
While you don’t need to completely forfeit using social networking sites, it is important to make time for God and not get distracted by things that the world throws at us.
Giving up Facebook and Twitter has allowed me to realize how much time is wasted on them, when that time can be used to thank God for the many blessings He has bestowed upon me. As a reminder I find it helpful to turn to a quote found in Matthew 6:33: “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.”
(Leanage, 18, is a media studies student at the University of Guelph-Humber.)
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