categories: social networking
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Don’t Give Up Swerve For Lent
I saw this article via crunchgear that talks about how people are giving up Facebook, Myspace, other social networks, and instant messaging for 40 days and 40 nights because of Lent. There is no doubt that all of those things can be addictive, and we could probably all stand to have a break. For example, I know several of you that would benefit from a little less Twitter.
So how ’bout it…Have any of you ever fasted from social networks, etc.? If so, how was the experience? If not, would you ever?
What ever you do, don’t give up swerve 
…we’d really miss you.
Visit 
I was pleasantly surprised by the number of folks in our church who have decided to lose a social network (or two) for Lent.
http://40days.theaterchurch.com
Many of those who are fasting MySpace or Facebook or Twitter, etc, have repented that those sites consume far too much of their time. Like anything else, it can be a real challenge to give up social media for 40 days, especially when it is something that has become so consuming. I’m certain that God will make a breakthrough for those who are committed to redeeming that time in prayer and worship to Him.
I tried to give up my phone for a day… (not during lent, but just to see if I could do it…) yeah… it didn’t work AT ALL!
Facebook and MySpace (cancelled my account) would be easy! You got me with Twitter! That’d be tough.
Blogs would be tough; twitter not so much!
I have not given it up for lent…but in 07 i gave up blogging (writing and reading) for 21 days. it was honestly the hardest fast that i have ever done.
shows how much you live online when it is harder than fasting food for 21 days. haha.
i dont think i could do it again…i mean, i could, but dont really want to.
I haven’t but my son has - part of a Switch Ft Worth thing. I could kiss Todd on the lips I’m so happy!!!!
Social networking isn’t a huge issue for me. Much like Chris in an earlier post I cancelled myspace a while back because I hated it. My wife, however. Is huge into social networking and decided to give it up for Lent. So far she hasn’t logged on to MySpace or Facebook yet. It’s really hard for her I think. But she’s doing well and finding other things to do with her time during the day. I’m super proud of her
I gave up myspace (cancelled my account) about a month ago. Takes up too much time, and there’s just too much junk on there.
Should we shut off our cell phones and put down our newspapers and magazines too?
The only one that would be tough for me to give up would be blogging. I could easily fast from Fabo, Twitter, Myspace and IM for 40 days.
i know a lady at church who’s giving up reading blogs for lent. she said she found out she was using blog reading as an escape from her kids.
personally, i think she’d just have done better by getting an rss feeder…
swerve helps me remember my lent sacrifice(s), so i’m not giving it up. but then again… i don’t have children to ignore when i log into google.
I gave up Hotmail, Facebook, Myspace and AIM for over a week a year or so ago. It definitely showed me how addictive those things can be. I notice that now I get on those every couple days instead of two and three times a day. It’s amazing what you find out about yourself when you give up things you thought you never could!
I have given up my cell phone several times(total about 2 months), and I have also given up using the computer at times(about 3 months). It is very freeing. Being away from these things. Without even knowing it these things had become strongholds and things that I clinged to!!!! When the fast was over it was an amazing feeling and it was funny because honestly I had the phone but the phone didnt have me!!!!
I don’t know that I really chose to give it up, but during a set prayer and fasting time, I just sort of lost interest in blogging. My focus turned somewhere else, and I really wondered if I could get back into it. When the fast was over, it entered back into the blog world with a little more laid back approach to it. It wasn’t a must anymore, it was something I really enjoyed, but I was not longer obsessed with it.
You know what’s funny? I’m doing Lent and it actually never even crossed my mind to give up ANYTHING related to the web. Hmmm, wonder if that might hit for next year? It hurts my brain to even think about not being online!
Our youth group did a 21-day media fast last summer. It wasn’t Lent, but most of the students don’t know what Lent is anyway. It wasn’t just one social networking outlet, though, it was everything: TV, radio, internet (except for work/school), newspapers …
The point was, obviously, to realize how much we hear from the world and how little we hear from God. Giving up my blog for 21 days, though, was REALLY hard.
I backed away permanently from a message board that started as a result of a newspaper article that put a local mega church I used to attend on blast. Eventhough there were a lot of unethical issues going on there that were true and first hand experienced by myself, after a while, it became empty of life. Everybody (ex-members/staff/elders, current members/staff/elders) was griping! If you attempted to encourage people to move on with their lives and walk in forgiveness, you’d be hit with a full barrage of attack (from Christian’s mind you). That message board was non-stop and on a daily basis I would think about it wanting to find out what the latest scoop was. It was addicting but I have too much victory as a Believer to allow myself to not pay attention (and fall for the trick) of getting caught up in drama… that’s my personal experience - but know that I know that even though God hates gossip, we do it anyway… and He loves us still.
No giving up here!