​If I attempt to continue this social break through the end of Lent for a total of 40 or so days, I am somewhere near the mid way point today at day twenty-three. I realize there may be value in reflecting on what I’ve LEARNed so far. And while I’m at it, you’ll learn a valuable tool to use to help summarize group meetings. Stick around! 

​It’s day twenty-one and I am still enjoying my time away from social media. In some ways it almost feels like I’m on vacation. You see, when you go on vacation you’re usually cut off from your crowd since you’re in a different location from them. Being off social media feels a little like that — I’m here, hanging out IRL (IRL = in real life) and my social network is hanging out in virtual reality. We’re apart and I cannot wait to share all my vacation stories with them when I return!  

​9:53am Yesterday was the second time I checked Facebook in sixteen days. It was almost like a chore and it took me 30 minutes to scan through all the messages for significance. For the first time in my life, I believe I am experiencing JOMO; the joy of missing out! 

​Skipping day eight’s social break journal worked so well for me that I just went on and skipped days 11-15! And now, keeping track of what day of my social break it is has become more challenging than staying off social media! I wouldn’t have anticipated that at the beginning of this experiment.

At any rate, here are a few additional day fifteen thoughts. 

I am learning: 

9:10am In case you didn’t notice, I skipped right over social break day eight. I don’t blame you, I almost didn’t notice! 

And that is saying something! I used to check social media like I used to smoke cigarettes — which is to say, a lot. And now, this week, I sailed right through day eight as if social media didn’t even exist!

Contrary to what you might think, my first thought wasn’t pride of my accomplishment. My first thought was one of fear and disappointment. It went kind of like this:

“Well, shit. This experiment is over. There’s nothing to write about.”

You see if I’m successfully off social media and it’s no big deal, there’s no entertainment value in documenting my experience. Is there?