This Lent I am giving up Facebook. I first began this practice back in 2009, and while at the time I was unaware of anyone else doing it, I have since learned that Facebook-fasting (or Fast-booking, if I might so call it) is becoming a very popular Lenten observance, particularly among young Christians.
In some ways, choosing to give up Facebook for Lent is kind of a no-brainer for me. I’m not a big fan of chocolate so giving it up wouldn’t be much of a sacrifice. Likewise it wouldn’t be that big of a deal for me to give up meat; I often forgo it at mealtime anyhow. But when I think about my daily habits, the things I enjoy doing on a frequent basis, one thing pops to mind (perhaps a bit too quickly): Facebook.
In many ways, my generation is the “connected generation”. Cell-phones, texting, Twitter and Facebook… for many youth and young adults, these services are simply part of daily life. And while I have (fortunately) thus far avoided texting, I was caught in the gravitational pull of Facebook some years ago. The ability to keep up with friends near and far, plan events, and follow the updates of organizations which interest me were all big attractions. I have since found Facebook an excellent tool for all these things and more.
But, like any tool, it can be misused. Or perhaps I should say over-indulged. Since joining the social networking site, I find myself taking frequent breaks from whatever I am doing to “check Facebook.” More often than not, nothing has happened, as I just checked the site a half hour previous. Now in honesty, for me this doesn’t add up to all that much time spent on Facebook. I pop on for a few seconds and then pop back off. Why then, you might ask, do I choose to give it up for Lent? If it isn’t that time-consuming a habit for me, why should I give it up?
Let’s be clear on something: Lent is not diet-season. It’s forty days of fasting. And believe me, dieting and fasting are two very different things. When we diet, we give up an enjoyment because we’ve been enjoying it to an excess – whether it’s food or Facebook or any other thing else. We’ve over-indulged, so we cut back. But when we fast, we fast in order to draw closer to God. People who fast from lunch during Lent can use the time which would normally be spent eating for prayer or Scripture reading. By sacrificing something enjoyable – like chocolate – others can reflect on the infinitely greater sacrifice of Christ. People who are tempted to break their fast from meat might use the opportunity to focus on the temptations of Jesus, after he had just spent forty days without food of any kind.
I give up Facebook for Lent because it affords me an opportunity for more spontaneous prayer throughout the day. Anytime during Lent when I think, “I should check Facebook,” I instead take a minute or two to pray. And because I normally would check Facebook a number of times during the day, I end up spending far more time in prayer than I otherwise would. Eventually, the thought popping into my head during Lent becomes “I should say a prayer” rather than “I should check Facebook.” And that’s a reformation of my mind for which I’m more than happy to sacrifice Facebook for forty days every year.
