Temporarily Deactivate Facebook Day

Show of hands: who participated in Quit Facebook Day?

About 30,000 people did, according to the latest stats via iTWire.

Now show of hands: how many actually participated in “Temporarily Deactivate Facebook Day?”

I!

And I suspect I’m not alone.

I’ve read numerous stories speaking for and against the social service: It’s free! I can stay in touch with my mom! Won’t somebody please think of the privacy settings?!

In truth, now was just a logical (albeit socially charged) time to take a little break from the ‘book. I’m studying for a midterm, and in the quiet hours of highlighters, charts and mnemonics, the passive act of trolling through pictures of so-and-so’s latest adventures can be far too vacuous. Alas, I quit. For now.

I know Facebook is like crack for the socially connected, which can be a big downer. My reality is, however, that it is fills an informational gap - a need, even - that just hasn’t been met elsewhere. Having the ability to circumvent the process of emails - gathering addresses, discerning the formalities of “sincerely” and “best” and “take care” in your sign-off, etc. etc. - while also seeing the person with whom you’re connecting through photos and even live online chat - that’s something. Understanding what people are thinking about through status updates and discussion groups/fan pages, is invaluable. Facebook just wraps all of my social networking needs together, with a glitchy veil-of-privacy bow.

As a communications professional, particularly one that analyzes online conversations for clients, I wonder whether quitting is even doable.

That’s why I’m all for a temporary deactivation. Unfortunately, Temporarily Deactivate Facebook Day just doesn’t have the same ring.