1. Without having experienced a social media withdrawal, how can you imagine it would affect your daily routine?
I spend a lot of time on Facebook. It’s one of the first things I do when I come home from class or work. I use it to stay in contact with friends and as entertainment during my free time. I play a number of games on Facebook and Google+. I think that without Facebook, I would get my homework done must faster and I would be a lot more productive during my time outside of class and work. Although I use more than one social media site, I only plan on unplugging from Facebook because it is the site that I use the most. I hope to get a lot done during my time away from Facebook and hopefully I won’t miss out on anything! I’m not sure how long I will last without it, but I’m planning on staying off the site for at least two days.
2. Once you have answered 1 above, complete a self-imposed “unplugging” from one or more social networks that you typically use. (Notice you have 2 weekends to do this if unplugging during the week will disrupt your academics.) Fully disengage from your iPhone, Facebook, Twitter, or other social tool. How long were you able to stay unplugged? What was easiest/hardest about disengaging? What did you learn in the process?
I stayed unplugged for a little less than two full days. In order to do this, I put a sticky note on my computer that said “NO FACEBOOK.” I knew that going to Facebook was so much of a habit at this point that I needed a visual reminder not to get on the website. At first, I didn’t really know what to do with myself. I would just look at my computer wondering what to do. I ended up spending more time watching TV with my roommate and I also spent some more time doing homework for the following week. The easiest part about unplugging was when I was busy. If I had something I needed to do or I was with my friends, I was less likely to be tempted to get on Facebook. However during my downtime, it was very tempting to go straight to Facebook once I got on my computer. The hardest part about unplugging was when I needed to do homework on the computer. It’s so tempting just to go back and forth between homework and Facebook. I can simply go between the two windows on my screen. However, while I was supposed to be unplugged and I was on my computer doing homework, it was really difficult to try to fight the urge to stay off the site. During this time, I learned a lot about my social networking habits. I didn’t realize just how much time I would normally spend on Facebook during the day. I also realized just how much of a distraction Facebook can be from school work. Going back and forth between Facebook and homework can completely disrupt my thought process and I do it all the time. Not only does it waste a lot of time while doing homework, but it interrupts your train of thought, which would be especially harmful if you’re writing a paper or doing some sort of assignment that requires writing that needs to flow, which includes the majority of assignments.
3. What alternatives to completely unplugging might be good suggestions for your peers as they learn to balance social engagement in online and real-world environments?
I would at least recommend to my peers that they stay off social networking sites while doing homework. You don’t need to spend an entire day or longer off the site to realize the benefit of unplugging. Staying off social networking sites while doing homework can help students to be more efficient while doing homework. Another suggestion would be to stay off social networks while with friends. If you are already with your friends, there is no need to be interacting with others on Facebook or even on smart phones. Not only is it rude, but if you are already with someone, you don’t need to be communicating with others. I know that there are times when my roommate and I are sitting on the couch with laptops on our laps talking about stuff we see on Facebook. The interaction would be far more beneficial if we stayed off these sites while with others.