Tuesday, June 08, 2010

No guts, no glory

So I have finally gone ahead and done it!

I have finally quit two popular social networking sites.

Five-six years on Orkut and about two years on Facebook have made me realize I didn’t want to be on them.

I will gladly admit I have made some very good friends along the way. People who I will always cherish, love and pray for. I have also had my fair share of batty personalities, “fans”, testimonials and more “friendsheep” requests than I care to keep an account of.

About two days ago, I got thinking about who I really kept in touch with on these sites? How did they matter? Where were all these people when real ups and downs have happened? Did I really want to read comments on my wall? Did I really want to know if someone played Mafia wars or did some farming? Did I realize I have wasted about half an hour of my life looking up some friend’s friend’s photo album….heck! I didn’t even know anyone’s name in this photo! How did I even get there? Someone please get me back my 30 mins!

I then asked myself if I had enough guts to take the plunge and let go of it all.

I DID.

Why not just keep the accounts and not be active on them?
Good question! I have asked myself that question as well.

Hmm….I find I am a compulsive “reply back” kind of person. So if someone pinged, wrote or messaged me, I would find myself being polite and replying….usually saying something mundane like …"Hey you! Long time no hear! We really should catch up you know!"….By and large, I did not want to “catch up” or really keep in touch. I was merely replying instinctively. I much rather receive a personalized mail than someone “liking” or commenting on a wise-guy comment / link on my wall.

The people who really matter—the bona fide ones that back me no matter what and have been through my thick and thin—know exactly where and how to find me. They don’t rely on some social networking site to figure out how things are with me. I don’t either.

I don’t stand for or against becoming a member of these sites. It’s a personal choice and either ways doesn’t mean a thing.

I figure all the time and mindspace I gain after quitting these sites will make me pursue things I genuinely like doing—like writing for instance…

When I wrote to a few people telling them that I have left these sites for good, the answers I received amused me. “Is someone stalking you?”, “Why why why! Come back”, “Why the virtual suicide?”, “Was it me?”….

All I have to say is GET A GRIP!

It’s not like I am vanishing off the World Wide Web. My blog (this very one that you are reading) is alive! So is my mail account.

Get in touch! Just do it the “old fashioned way”.

Take your time. Write me a mail. I will always reply because I want to ;)

4 comments:

Arihant said...

Nicely written... had a similar feeling when I quit orkut 3 years back

Unknown said...

fair enough :)
-Sushant

Anonymous said...

Gooooo gurl :)
I would've written a similar one when I quit Orkutting a couple o yrs back (though the account is still active, i go there ONLY to post pics on one particular album: which I now realise, is also possible on my blog).

FB will take abit more time, but I'm clearly losing interest. The other day, i posted something on my WALL and deleted it. Taking to Walls isnt interesting anymore!!! :)

Glad to have you active here.

Btw, lemme know when you have your ups and downs. I'll TRY to give you a call :D :P (you know i'm kidding, don't you?)

Pallavi Vyawahare said...

@ Weird
:) :) :)
Miss you girl!...and you better call even when there are no ups or downs :)