Is “social networking” just an umbrella term for “tools of procrastination”? Or rather, a perfect excuse?

Think about it, how frequently have you read that your Facebook friend is currently on Facebook instead of doing the readings for the week, or snooping when they are suppose to be elsewhere? How frequently do you read about some random Tweet about procrastination?

An example of Twitter procrastination: @keepmylover.

I am one guilty guilty individual lurking on Facebook and Twitter because I am deliberating starting on real work. Even when I am absolutely bored with those sites, I still keep snooping and revisiting because I have no place else to go except to put the head to work. “Keeping in touch” and “Catching up with friends” are too old to be excuses, and should be retired.

Believe me, I am trying to quit the habit of starting my day with blog reading, Twitter and Facebook updates. I am. Thus far, I have succeeded with not reading blogs but Twitter is still the first page I pull up on my browser every day. I don’t know why. There is nothing quite so fascinating about Twitter except my love for my own profile background. CHECK IT OUT.

So anyway, the 48-hour fast from Twitter has been liberating. Although, at some point of my crazy stressed up days, I was very tempted to send a Tweet and let the world of strangers know that I am in distress. Actually, if you think about it, Twittering could be a good way to de-stress. Look, friends begin with strangers and strangers become friends because you talk to each other. Following this logic, the world may be strangers to me today, but if I reach out to the world through Tweets and if some kind soul replies to me, then we will become cyber-friends. (Do people still use the word, “cyber”? Just checking.) And it is always soothing to get some attention, no? Even if the attention is in fact imaginary.

Not Twittering however, does help me focus on the moment because I don’t have to worry about grammar or spelling and making sure the message cannot be misinterpreted. Liberating. I mean, in my line of work, words are everything; I get anal about it. So it is nice to take a break every now and then, and just be with me. Crazy, stressed out me.

Sometimes I find Twitter a little counterintuitive. Just like blogging sometimes is. When life is “happening”, where am I to find the time to blog? I have time to blog when I am having a slow day, but with a slow day, there is nothing to blog or Tweet about. Think about the time I spend with Eli. Those are the happiest moments of my day yet it gets interrupted each time I reach for my phone to send a Tweet.

I don’t think I missed Twitter that much in the last two days. Perhaps because I was preoccupied with other things and couldn’t procrastinate. But otherwise, as one would expect, life went on and so did Twitter. And I came out the other side. Liberated. In the moment.