I've been taking a break from serious debates on Facebook, and checking the site regularly.

I've chosen to place more focus on my life in "meatspace" and also here on Steemit.com. The energy I've redirected has already served me well, and I'm pleased to find that as I put more focus into being engaged on Steemit, Steemit becomes that much more gratifying and engaging.

Many folks are reticent to abandon Facebook entirely, and I can totally understand that. Actually, I've done it before. What I found, however, is that I still had a strong desire to express myself to my connections there, and in ways that maybe are not yet so feasible on Steemit.com. I can also stay connected to literally thousands of Voluntaryist allies, and close friends and family that are not yet part of the "Steem-o-sphere." I can make short, off-the-cuff posts about this and that tidbit, funny or profound moment from my day, without feeling any pressure to turn them into long form posts that will be earning Steem.

For example, I can rattle off a couple lines about something funny one of my students said, hear my family and friends' reactions, all in a very low pressure and simple way. I don't always feel this way about Steemit.

That said, the less I check Facebook, and the less I engage in the puerile mudslinging that has become so prevalent there, I can simply focus on sharing those light little moments, and even my thoughts on Voluntaryist issues, without putting too much stock in it all. This "light" way of using Facebook is working out really well. I feel so much less pressure to respond to every single notification now, as I have announced my decision to cut back, and can focus much more on my blog here, and the community here.

As I invest more into blogging and being engaged on Steemit, the platform becomes more engaging and rewarding, and I feel the "Facebook itch" less and less.

Even in regard to Steemit, the more I focus on life as it appears in my immediate vicinity, and my relationships, the more I feel inspired to share and express myself on this platform.

So, all in all, I'd say the results of my decision thus far have been positive. Plus, more and more, Facebook is just becoming invasive, and a spot where folks like myself will be (and already are being) surveilled by the state. Fuck that. Well, I guess that's about it. What are your thoughts on Facebook? Get at me in the comments, homies!

~KafkA

Graham Smith is a Voluntaryist activist, creator, and peaceful parent residing in Niigata City, Japan. Graham runs the "Voluntary Japan" online initiative with a presence here on Steem, as well as Facebook and Twitter. (Hit me up so I can stop talking about myself in the third person!)