Leaving Social Media Behind

[gracer]

Hello everyone!


It's been months now since I have tried browsing over my Facebook account. I would only open it whenever I have some Google searches that lead me to Facebook but other than that, I no longer open my account for casual browsing. I find that staying logged in on my account for a long time only makes me all the more depressed and lacking of confidence. I like browsing my Twitter account more because most of my followings are news and inspirational accounts. I don't really have personal friends on my Twitter account and I like it better because I don't have to look at every day postings of selfies and accomplishments by people I know.


For me, if social media takes the best out of you, better leave it behind and look for other sources of socialization that fits you. This is what I've been trying to do for months now, and somehow the pressure that society demands has not been affecting me ever since.

 

[111kg]

Good for you. What's fundamentally wrong with Facebook and Instagram and whatever is the fact that people post only the best part of their lifes, which is are often fake lives. Other people compare those pictures to their own situations and think they are losers and they will never be as good or as rich, but truth be told, nobody posts about the shortcomings of their lives on Facebook. However, people are affected and develop depressions and other mental problems because of Social Media networks.


Honestly, I use Facebook as a tool to manage the social media of my side hustles, but I rarely spend time browsing mainly for the above reason: people act as kings on Facebook, but if you get to know them, their life is not as good as they like you to think it is.

 

[Alex]

I deactivated my main account a while back, but need one for my business work pages and it is so much better for me. I spend less time on Facebook, and also I don't have to see people ranting. I have Instagram, but I don't use it very often and only use if for my websites. I don't feel I need to share my photos with the world.


People do like to present an image, and the thing is most that were bragging I knew the truth behind it all and it was never as rosy as they made it out to be.

 

[pwarbi]

I still use social media quite a lot, but i certainly wouldn't say that I use it on a daily basis or even take that much notice of what's on there either to be honest. I do know a lot of people though that seem to live their lives on social media and they can't even go to the local supermarket without feeling the need to tell people about it. Social media used to that extent is obviously damaging I feel, and it's almost like they are trying to be the centre of attention and use any means necessary to do so.


We all like interacting with others, and that's what social media is all about, but it's only when you stop using it that you then realise that the friends that you have on there aren't your real friends at all, and that to some can come as quite a bit of a shock.

 

[whysewserious]

I keep mine active for networking purposes, but I wish I could check out of it more frequently than I am able. It can be such a negative place at times. There is good happening out there in the world, but dominant posts are always about the bad things. I do not like how the "facts" are often not checked before being posted, and that there are algorithms in play that make sure only certain topics keep repeating themselves on the feed.


I also like being tuned in to my present environment, and get tired of being around people who cannot function without their cell phone on and glued to their hand at all times. I think pictres are important to creating memories, but I would rather live in the moment than broadcast every detail of my day to relative strangers.

 

[17emilyhalko]

I know a lot of people who have dipped from social media in order to prevent themselves from the negative feelings that it can create. The more time people tend to spend on social media, the worse they feel about themselves, because they see what everyone else is doing, and they wish that their lives were "that interesting" too. They see weddings, babies, parties, and they want that life. Personally, I can handle Facebook, but I also don't scroll through the feed much anymore. I deleted the Facebook app on my phone, and only kept the Messenger app. I need Facebook and Messenger in order to be connected to some of the friends who have moved away. However, it only benefits me if I use the Messenger app. I just get sad if I scroll through the feed.

 

[theduck7]

Social media can be a good tool but I don't think it's a very good source of entertainment. It's nice for keeping up with friends or finding people you've lost track of, but even that has it's downside if that person doesn't want to reconnect to you.


Too many people slip into be addicted to "likes" or wanting to have the most friends. I've never had a facebook account but I can see how I could get addicted to looking for likes. Makes you feel a little bit good when someone else thinks what you said is neat. I think it's too easy to start measuring your worth by what the internet thinks of you. And let's face it, how much stuff on social media is genuine. If you're crafting posts or tweets for the general public it might truly be you but it probably isn't. In a way social media is a place for people to show off. And some people are really good at showing off which can make you feel stupid or inferior if you forget that they are showing off. My husband sings this song sometimes that I think is called I'm So Much Cooler Online. It's a funny song, but I think it helps put the whole social media thing in a true light.

 

[CeliVega]

I tried quitting it once, and well, it didn't work out as well as I anticipated. I got some people I hated that forced me to add them on Facebook, because they are long time "friends" and all. And then they would keep on posting about all the stuffs that would make me feel terrible, like that few time I messed up in schools, essentially never letting go of what I did in the past. I just feel I would be better off without this platform where people can constantly knew what happened to you, or even what happened in your past just because you both share a mutual friend who like to spread gossip and secrets.


So I cut them off. Social media and contact number. I felt relieved at first, and then I got worry. What if they started more rumors? Now that I have ignore them and stopped supervising their harassing on social media, would they be spreading more rumors and demeaning information even if it's not true? What if people who used to think highly of me now hates me because of them?


I get a different kind of anxiety after that. I am still coming in terms with that. You win some and you lose some I guess. I must admit I feel better after they stopped pestering me.

 

[Ashley0323]

I tried quitting once, but its hard. I keep in contact with some of my family through social media, plus, I work from home and I will sometimes promote on social media which will increase my pay. I do plan to cut back a TON though. I am now homeschooling, and busy with extra activities with my kiddos, and I feel like I am starting to get addicted to social media (Facebook), and I absolutely do NOT want that! It takes away from my family!

 

[Panic57]

It reminds me of this article I read where a girl told everyone she was going to Japan and faked the whole experience to show how fake social media is. I don't look at anyone's accounts anymore as real, it's just the life people wish they lead. With people being judged by their social media from your friends, family, to your boss, there is no way that people would be authentic online, It's just an avatar that looks like the real person.

 

[gracer]

It's really disheartening how social media has been abused this way. There are people who are so obsessed with it that it's as if social media is their whole life. Before, I used to not understand some of my friends who didn't have any social media account but I now fully understand where they're coming from. Sometimes I really want to just delete my Facebook account for good but the only thing that hinders me is the thought that it is where I connect and learn about friends and relatives who have been living far from me. Sometimes though, even their posts are contributing factors to my low self-esteem and depression.

 

[pwarbi]

Social media has certainly been abused by many people, and when it first came out, I do think that it was a good idea and just a simple way of connecting with your friends, family and colleagues. These days though I think people are using it more and more as something to hide behind, and instead of it adding to a persons social life, in some cases it is now a persons ONLY social life and that can't be healthy.


If a person is struggling with social anxiety, in some cases having that social media to fall back on can help, but in some cases they are using it as an excuse not to go out and try and fight the issue, and they think that just because they are speaking to people from behind a keyboard, that as now replaced face to face interaction when really I think that a person needs both.

 

[rz3300a]

I am pretty non-existent when it comes to social media, at least when you compare me to most other people. That said, though, I certainly realize that they serve a purpose these days and so I am on them, but I also would not mind stepping away. If it were not for work I probably would be much more willing to do so, also. It would be a change, but it might just take me back to some days with a little less anxiety and nervousness about my situations. Who knows I guess, but it is very interesting. Thanks for sharing.

 

[DDNatureLover]

I get emails from Facebook when I'm mentioned, and when people post in the various groups I belong to. I keep an eye on my account that way, and don't always log in unless there's something I'm interested in, such as someone mentioning a prowler, or something that's particularly fascinating. Since I no longer sell much on the Facebook groups, and have never gotten a sale from my Facebook shop page, I don't bother to go there multiple times per day.


I also prefer Twitter because I don't have people I actually know on my accounts. I promote my shops there, and post some pictures, mainly nature or cat pics, because I don't post selfies. One of my issues with Facebook is how obsessed people are with posting selfies and talking about every wonderful thing that supposedly happens to them. If they were being honest, they'd also share at least some of their failures, because otherwise, they aren't presenting the truth. I am about to unfollow someone I follow on both Facebook and Instagram, because at first she seemed to share the same values and be somewhat deep, as well as humorous, but now all she seems to do is post selfies and self-promote. I don't mind self-promoting if there's an actual product, but I don't like seeing people pimping themselves as products.

 

[gracer]

I agree with you @DDNatureLover. I usually get annoyed at just looking at endless selfies which basically all look the same anyway. I really can't take these kinds of people at times. Even the ones who have to post every minute just to let people know everything they are doing. Just like what @pwarbi said, I initially liked the idea of social media because it promotes interaction between people, especially with friends and relatives who are geographically far from me. I just really got tired of it now because of all the negative things I see in it.

 

[pwarbi]

That's the problem with a lot of things though, and while when it first starts out it's a good idea, people end up abusing it and spoiling it for everyone else. If Facebook for example was just used for hat it was intended for, networking and interacting with people then it would be fine. These days though there are a lot of idiots on there that are using it for negative influences, and at the moment it seems that people are still falling for scams and friend requests off people they don't know and are never likely to ever meet.

 

[kgord]

Yeah, I hate some of the people on Facebook, and some of them sadly I am related to! The thing is that the same people seem to post over and over again. I personally don't think I would fall for any scams, but some people proably have, and continue to. I just think it is one of the hazards of having so many people have access to a public domain like that. I just think the potential to have things go wrong is always there, with an entity as large as Facebook.

 

[cluckeyo]

I have been quite busy lately and have also neglected my facebook account. Once or twice I have become frustrated with Facebook and deactivated my account. In the long run I did not stick to that though, and eventually reactivated. I kind of go in waves with Facebook. At times I enjoy it and at times I have no patience for it. I do like funny the pet videos the best. And I do find out about things I wouldn't otherwise know about, like who died and stuff like that. I'll keep it, but it does not own me.

 

[listener1987]

Can I offer some tips on making Facebook palatable? Like many of you, Facebook depressed me for a lot of reasons. Here are the steps I took to remove that:

• I "unfollow" people. That way, they can still remain my friend, but I don't see anything they post. I unfollow them if they post a lot of heavily opinionated or political posts (especially if they're looking for an argument,) or if I'm not close to them, or if they post inane material I find uninteresting.
  
• I do delete people too. There's something cathartic about narrowing down your "friends" list.
  
• You have to check out FB Purity. It's a browser extension that lets you modify what you see on Facebook. Mind you, Facebook does NOT like this, because they want you to see what they want you to see. In fact, if you advertise it on Facebook, Facebook will block the link and say it's unsafe. But it's the best tool ever. And it's free. If you don't know how to add an extension/add-on to your browser, google your browser name and the phrase "add-on." Ask me here if you need some help.
  

It sounds like you guys are really good at identifying stressors in your life! These are just some tips to help you avoid stressors and still enjoy Facebook if you want to!

 

[Alex]

Can I offer some tips on making Facebook palatable? Like many of you, Facebook depressed me for a lot of reasons. Here are the steps I took to remove that:

• I "unfollow" people. That way, they can still remain my friend, but I don't see anything they post. I unfollow them if they post a lot of heavily opinionated or political posts (especially if they're looking for an argument,) or if I'm not close to them, or if they post inane material I find uninteresting.
  
• I do delete people too. There's something cathartic about narrowing down your "friends" list.
  
• You have to check out FB Purity. It's a browser extension that lets you modify what you see on Facebook. Mind you, Facebook does NOT like this, because they want you to see what they want you to see. In fact, if you advertise it on Facebook, Facebook will block the link and say it's unsafe. But it's the best tool ever. And it's free. If you don't know how to add an extension/add-on to your browser, google your browser name and the phrase "add-on." Ask me here if you need some help.
  

It sounds like you guys are really good at identifying stressors in your life! These are just some tips to help you avoid stressors and still enjoy Facebook if you want to!

I think most people know these, but I do think unfollowing people or blocking them can cause more issues if you aren't careful. It's much easier to just deactivate and set up another account and only include certain people you wish to have one.


The reason I say this is because you can get caught out when someone says, "Didn't you see my post?" and you have to admit that you unfollowed them or make up something. People get offended when they are blocked or unfollowed, so sometimes saying you just deactivated is easier and causes no offense.


The reality is you have control and like a new email address, just set up a new account and be more careful with those you add.