Ten Day Fast from Social Media

[Midwest LDS]

So if the sisters will be gone, that means we can talk about whatever we want right? The joys of polygamy, maybe set up a tutorial on how to get your wife to make you a sandwich, how much harder it is to be a priesthood holder than a mom stuff like that 😉😉😃😃😁😁? (Sarcasm just in case it's misunderstood)

Edited October 8, 2018 by Midwest LDS

[SilentOne]

2 minutes ago, Midwest LDS said:

So if the sisters will be gone, that means we can talk about whatever we want right? The joys of polygamy, maybe set up a tutorial on how to get your wife to make you a sandwich, how much harder it is to be a priesthood holder than a mom stuff like that 😉😉😃😃😁😁?

Because it's not like there's any chance of us coming back in a couple weeks and reading what was posted while we were gone.

[classylady]

For me, the hardest thing to do will be no FaceBook.  That’s how I stay in touch with my married children and keep up with my grandchildren. I don’t think I overuse FaceBook.  I usually skim through it several times a day.  It’s also how I know what’s happening with my neighbors and ward members. I had the opportunity to minister to one of my inactive neighbors last week.  They posted on FaceBook that their car wasn’t working and they had no way to get their boys to the bus stop for the military academy their boys attend. I was able to help by driving the boys and picking them up on Thursday and Friday.  I hope they don’t need help this week because I won’t know unless I’m contacted directly.

[JamesZA]

6 hours ago, MormonGator said:

I enjoy my time on social media. I like being able to check the news, discuss/debate politics, music, etc. Some of my friends live far away and it's the best way to communicate with them, check up on their lives. It doesn't give me any stress at all. 

Disclaimer: I haven't seen the women's session (for what are probably obvious reasons, I hope?) - but Pres. Nelson invited the youth to do a similar thing a little while ago. My wife is in the YW presidency in our ward so she did it with them. Just like normal fasting isn't about giving up food entirely, but rather strengthening our spirits over our physical needs, so I think this social media fast is to strengthen our spirits over our social desires and urges. Because let's face it, maybe not with everyone, but with a lot of people the social media is out of control. Even for those who don't have a problem this can be a blessing. (I'm not really on many social media, a couple of forums perhaps, so it wasn't too hard for me to join the youth in their fast recently 😉

2 hours ago, classylady said:

For me, the hardest thing to do will be no FaceBook.  That’s how I stay in touch with my married children and keep up with my grandchildren. I don’t think I overuse FaceBook.  I usually skim through it several times a day.  It’s also how I know what’s happening with my neighbors and ward members. I had the opportunity to minister to one of my inactive neighbors last week.  They posted on FaceBook that their car wasn’t working and they had no way to get their boys to the bus stop for the military academy their boys attend. I was able to help by driving the boys and picking them up on Thursday and Friday.  I hope they don’t need help this week because I won’t know unless I’m contacted directly.

This is a real concern. With families being spread all over the world (or even just in different cities), social media has become a good way to keep in touch. I guess that in the strictest sense if one wants to fast from all social media for 10 days, this could cut you off from your family, which I don't think is in the spirit of what was being asked.

One could find a bit of a distinction in the kinds of social media that one uses though. Something like Skype is more "focused" if you will? It lets you make a phone-call or text message much like a normal phone, but cheaper. Something like Facebook on the other hand, while it does have those functions, also bombards you with lots of other stuff which is calculated to keep your eyeballs on the web-page as long as possible so that Facebook can make money by showing you ads. The things it shows you are not necessarily good for you, but only calculated to keep you there for as long as it can.

[anatess2]

I'm not participating in the ten-day-fast from social media because...  1.) it's part of my job.  2.) it's my primary communication tool with my family.  3.) the way I leverage social media allows me to continue using social media while fulfilling the objectives of the fast.

[person0]

2 minutes ago, anatess2 said:

1.) it's part of my job.

You should use your vacation days so you can take off work and be obedient to the 10 day social media fast.

Quote

2.) it's my primary communication tool with my family.

"For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law."  (Matt 10:35)

You can't go 10 days without your family?

Quote

3.) the way I leverage social media allows me to continue using social media while fulfilling the objectives of the fast.

Similar to:  'The way I eat this cheeseburger allows my stomach to stay full while still fulfilling the law of the fast'.

(I am joking - In case it wasn't obvious  😀)

[anatess2]

23 minutes ago, person0 said:

You should use your vacation days so you can take off work and be obedient to the 10 day social media fast.

Contract workers don't get vacation days.  We're on a no-work=no-pay lifestyle that comes with "you signed the contract, you better do the work".

 

23 minutes ago, person0 said:

"For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law."  (Matt 10:35)

You can't go 10 days without your family?

Also the child or ox that fell in the well.

My family is spread out all around the globe.  My family is the "welfare safety net" for every member of the family.  The 10-day social media fast has zero intention to fast from family and especially service obligations.

 

23 minutes ago, person0 said:

Similar to:  'The way I eat this cheeseburger allows my stomach to stay full while still fulfilling the law of the fast'.

(I am joking - In case it wasn't obvious  😀)

Fasting from social media jokes is part of the 10-day fast. 

Joking also.

 

 

 

Edited October 8, 2018 by anatess2

[Jane_Doe]

1 hour ago, anatess2 said:

I'm not participating in the ten-day-fast from social media because...  1.) it's part of my job.  2.) it's my primary communication tool with my family.  3.) the way I leverage social media allows me to continue using social media while fulfilling the objectives of the fast.

+1

Pres. Nelson's challenge wasn't to blanket ditch all social media, but to focus on those that uplift us, and having each person pray on specific guidance.  Communicating with family and doing your job definitely fit in the good and/or needed category.   

For another example: my little sister works for Twitter.  Social media is literally her job, so she'll be on it while she's clocked on.  Other times though, that's up to her choice (aided by the Holy Ghost, of course).

Edited October 8, 2018 by Jane_Doe

[Emmanuel Goldstein]

My fast begins now. See you all in ten days.

[zil]

1 hour ago, person0 said:

(I am joking - In case it wasn't obvious  😀)

I'm wondering if folks have listened to what he actually said.  My take is that if something fits President Nelson's description of what should be excluded, it also should not be returned to, ever.  At the moment, my pondering is to identify those things and just plain exclude them, then to fast from the remaining things (though I have concerns about one of them, so I need longer to decide) so that I can afterwards evaluate whether I correctly identified them as "ok to keep" or whether they too should be entirely excluded.  Maybe I'm overthinking, but I'm me, so this is what I'm doing.  My thought is that if I do this very deliberately - finding my own motivation and benefits and understanding, it will help me to break habits and permanently give up bad things rather than simply abandoning them for 10 days and going right back to them after that period is over.  (And, frankly, I don't really use social media beyond 2 forums - it's primarily other media that I need to consider.)

[person0]

26 minutes ago, zil said:

My take is that if something fits President Nelson's description of what should be excluded, it also should not be returned to, ever.  At the moment, my pondering is to identify those things and just plain exclude them

I like that.  The only social media I use is this forum.  I have a Facebook account, but I only check it once every 3-4 month's or so, just to see if I missed any messages.  On the rare occasion that I post something, I usually delete it after 7 days.

[Lost Boy]

I could give up the social media.  It is the anti social media that I really like....

[Maureen]

29 minutes ago, person0 said:

...On the rare occasion that I post something, I usually delete it after 7 days.

Why do you delete it after 7 days?

M.

[person0]

11 minutes ago, Maureen said:

Why do you delete it after 7 days?

M.

Just personal preference, not sure I have a good reason.

[Overwatch]

Oh my goodness. Some of the sisters on this site are so addicted they are still here saying Mormonhub isn't social media x_x 

[Fether]

26 minutes ago, Overwatch said:

Oh my goodness. Some of the sisters on this site are so addicted they are still here saying Mormonhub isn't social media x_x 

My wife gets on my back all the time cause she says I’m addicted to “the hub”.

I totally agree. Facebook never had such a grasp on my time as the Hub now has.

But now with the name change to third hour, I can justify it  by saying I’m making up for lost church time

[The Folk Prophet]

30 minutes ago, Fether said:

My wife gets on my back all the time cause she says I’m addicted to “the hub”.

I totally agree. Facebook never had such a grasp on my time as the Hub now has.

But now with the name change to third hour, I can justify it  by saying I’m making up for lost church time

You can only spend an hour a week then. 

[Guest MormonGator]

I hope all of our Florida sisters are not fasting from social media. We have a tropical storm coming and social media was crucial in seeing who was okay, who still had power, who needed anything last few storms we've had.