The Month Without Facebook Challenge

Have you ever left an important email unanswered for weeks, or not returned a phone call because you didn't have time, only to find yourself commenting on a Youtube video from someone you barely knew in high school?

Welcome to the Facebook reality.

Every form of communication can become a tool or a distraction. The purpose of this group is not to criticize Facebook or to create a sustained boycott, rather we're looking to challenge our connection to social media by seeing if we're able to give it up for a month.

The challenge is simple: for the month of June join us for "The Month Without Facebook Challenge." (Isn't June such a lovely month? The longest days of the year for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere). Here's how it works:

1. Join this group

2. Send a group email or update your status to let your friends know about this group and ask them to check out this page if they are interested.

3. On the morning of June 1st replace your profile pic with the "facebook challenge" image currently used for this profile (this is the easiest way to give the movement visibility).

4. On the morning of June 1st update your status to say "I'm taking The Month Without Facebook Challenge. I'll be back on July 1st." (You can probably find a more creative way to say this...)

5. Log off (FOR THE ENTIRE MONTH!).

Some of you might need help making it a whole month without Facebook, so allowing a loved one to change your password may be required.

What should you do during your month without Facebook? Take a hike. Write a book. Plant a garden. Volunteer. Write a letter. Call your grandparents (they'd love to hear from you). Knit a sweater. Make love. Learn to cook. It doesn't matter what you do. The point of this exercise is to engage your life without the clutter of social media.

(While this challenge is specific to Facebook the idea should spread to other networks as well: Myspace, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.)

Now, are you up for the challenge?

Spread the word, logoff, and maybe we'll meet out there in the real world.

The Facebook Group Discussed in this article is here: http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?v=info&ref=mf&gid=109685102398879