It can be tough to go without our favorite tech, even for just a short while. A few hours after the power goes out or our internet goes down, we start to panic, cut off from the outside world and all its Twitter messages and Facebook status updates. For many Christians, next Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, a period where they're supposed to choose something they love to temporarily give up as a spiritual sacrifice. Instead of giving up junk food or TV, many this year are making the big sacrifice of going without their favorite social networking site.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the trend to choose one of these sites as a Lenten sacrifice is gaining popularity among adults in particular. While giving up video games might be an appropriate hardship for a teenager to take on, adults who find less and less time for fun in their busy workaday lives can be hard-pressed to identify some practical sacrifice to make.

Adults have been flocking to Facebook since it opened up its doors to everyone, using the site to reconnect with old friends and keep in touch with sprawling networks of family and friends. While they're still free to keep in touch with them over Lent via phone or email, some have taken so strongly to Facebook that doing without it can really seem like a burden.

While we doubt this cold-turkey exercise will break many Facebook addictions permanently, perhaps reflecting on their effort will let those making the sacrifice appreciate other things in life all the more. After all, there are plenty of other social networking sites to discover to get you through the season.

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