I was 26 days into Lent when I had to use Facebook for the first time.
I was putting together a report at work when I realized there really wasn't any way around it. The information I needed simply wasn't available on a website - but multiple searches confirmed it was available on Facebook.
I tried a different search. Then another. Then, with a sigh, I did what I knew had to be done.
Even though I decided before Ash Wednesday that it would be OK to use Facebook or Twitter for work, if required, it was still tough. I worked quickly, gathered the material I needed, and closed the window.
When our pastor started talking about Lent, I immediately knew I would be giving up social media.
Instructed to think about something we could give up to devote more time to God - to study scripture, to pray, to meditate - social media was the first thing that came to mind. I knew, even at the beginning of Lent, that social media had become something of a vice for me. I justified it - yeah, I just spent the last 20 minutes scrolling 31 weeks deep into the Instagram feed of a person I've never met, but at least I'm not smoking or something.
I never felt convicted about it, though. Then I did.
So it was decided. In the final minutes leading up to Ash Wednesday, I penned a quick post to explain my upcoming absence. Then, I signed off.
And with a few exception (primarily work, and the occasional Sunday) I stayed signed off for 40ish days.
Lent wasn't really a big part of my past church experience. Prior to this year, I cannot recall a single time when I have even attempted to fast from something for...well, any period of time, really. Forty days felt like an impossible task, but I was up for it.
I wasn't sure to what to expect from the experience or even what I wanted to get from it.
Forty-ish days later, here is what I learned.
During the first week, I was genuinely shocked by how I automatically looked for the Facebook or Instagram icon every time I picked up my phone. The worst part about this? I wasn't going to these apps because there was something I needed to see - it had just become a reflex. Got a couple minutes to kill waiting the laundry timer to go off or for dinner to finish cooking? I'll pop on Instagram for a few minutes. Raining at lunch? I'll eat at my desk and scroll through Twitter. Taken together, all those little gaps add up fast - no wonder I never felt like I had time to get anything done!
That's not to say I used my time perfectly during Lent - I definitely did not - but without social media, I was able to reclaim some of those lost minutes.
2. Social media has changed the way I connect with other people
You've probably witnessed it before - you stop at a coffee shop and see the group of friends sitting around a table...and everyone is looking down at their smartphones. I see this all the time and am often very quick to call it out.
You know, as if I don't do the same thing.
I like to think I have gotten better about this over the last few years, but it is not uncommon for my phone to be the third wheel during a hangout session with a friend or a date with my husband.
Disconnecting for social media channels for 40ish days meant I had less reason to be constantly checking my phone. The result? More actual face time with friends and family.
3. Social media has changed the way I connect with my surroundings
For example, I try to go for a walk every day during my lunch. It's a short jaunt - across the walking bridge and back, a distance that is possible to cover in 30 minutes. That said, the trip is often longer, the result of stopping to take photos of the river or whatever other interesting thing catches my eye.
I hardly used the camera on my phone at all during my fast - I didn't have anywhere to put the photos so it didn't feel like there was much of a point. Instead, I focused more on simply taking my surroundings in.
4. Disconnecting from social media helped my faith grow
This wasn't totally surprising. As mentioned, I didn't always do a great job of using my time wisely, but one thing I made a point to do during Lent was to spend more time in the Word - reading, reflecting (both through journaling and talking about the readings with my husband) and praying. Not only did this result in developing a deeper appreciation for the Lent/Easter season, but it has also led to a greater understanding of who God is and how much he loves us.
5. I didn't miss social media as much as I thought I would
I honestly thought it would be more difficult to be offline for 40 days than it actually was. Not saying it was easy - it wasn't, and sometimes, it was just downright inconvenient. But the deeper into the season I went, the more I found myself enjoying my time offline. Who knew, right? I wasn't expecting that.
There are still a lot of things I like about social media; I still think it's a wonderful outlet for creativity and, as a person with a lot of long-distance friends, I find it is a great way to keep up with friends and connect across long distances.
That said, there are a lot of things I don't like about social media - perhaps the most significant of which is how easy it can be to get sucked into the comparison trap. When you're scrolling through someone's Instagram feed or reading a Facebook post, it can be easy to forget: social media is not real life. You are simply looking at the highlight reel - and sometimes, that can be very different from reality.
How does this change my relationship with social media? I'm not totally sure, to be honest with you. I enjoyed disconnecting for Lent, but I'm also looking forward to catching up on some of my favourite feeds over the next few days - even if I'll be looking at those posts through a changed lens.
Maybe, for now, that's enough.
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