Why I am Quitting Facebook

This week I decided to quit Facebook.  So, on Friday sometime, I will be deactivating my account, hoping to never reactivate it. Here are 3 reasons I am quitting Facebook:

1. It's too distracting.  With all the status updates, applications, marketing ideas, changes in privacy policy, I almost need an administrative assistant to keep me up-to-date on what is happening with all my 500+ friends (most of whom I haven't seen in years).  I think I could literally spend my whole day tracking what others do, what promotions are being offered and what So and So needs for his FarmTown.  I'm sorry, but I have a wife and 4 young daughters, not to mention a full-time job, a mortgage and hopefully a social life.  Facebook is too distracting for what I need to focus on, yet it is one of the 1st things I do when I wake up.  I don't need any more distractions for my life.
2. I only use it for ministry.  Actually, that is a really good reason to keep it.  But, it is also the reason to delete it.  With Facebook you can easily keep tabs on people without really being with and really knowing people.  In youth ministry we strive to model Christ who came to Earth, met us where we were and then build a relationships that led us to God.  Well, with Facebook, I'm developing relationships with people by basically seeing what they are doing and making a comment about it.  I can "know" someone without really "knowing" someone.  Facebook takes away actually physical time that I should be having with someone else. 
3. I'm not that important.  Who really cares what I am up to?  Who cares that I am making brownies while playing with the kids?  Actually, if I have time to write that then I am not really making brownies or playing with my kids.  I am typing on Facebook (which is another reason to delete it).  If my friends want to know what I am up to, then they should be able to call me and chat with me about it.  They don't need to read what I am doing on some status update.  

So, if you are really curious as  to what I am doing, you can track me down a few different ways:

• Email me - my friends know what that is
• Call me - again, my friends know the number
• Follow my Personal Blog (http://tompounder.blogspot.com)
• Follow my Youth Ministry Blog (www.notamegachurch.com)
• Follow me on Twitter (www.twitter.com/tapounder)

May God bless you and hopefully I will never be on Facebook again, not that there is anything wrong with that, it's just not for me :)