Why I’m Taking a Facebook Fast

I’ve finally admitted it. Things are not working out between me and Facebook. I’m not “above” Facebook. In fact, I love Facebook, but unfortunately, Facebook does not love me back. Facebook does not want for me the things I want for me, and that means we are not a good match, and one of us has to go. Thankfully, I chose not to abandon myself to hold on to my beloved. Here’s my contribution to the growing genre of self-important Facebook exile essays on why I’m taking a yearlong (and maybe longer) fast from Facebook. It took me years to admit to myself that Facebook and I don’t want the same things. I want to be a prolific author, and Facebook wants me to be a prolific status updater (which I certainly was). I want to be happy, joyous, and free. Facebook wants me to see how rich, happy, and hot my friends are—or how cute and quirky their babies are. Or how cozy and serene married nights in are. Or how hopelessly unjust and violent the world is. I want to have great things happen in my life and be able to enjoy them just because they happened; Facebook wants me to ...