Is it time to delete Facebook?

Seems odd right? You may have clicked a link on Facebook to read this article and it is likely I shared it there. The reality is Facebook (fb) has become a powerful tool. A large number of people site fb as their main source of news and during times of growing mistrust of mainstream media, it has become a tool to get real-time information delivered to your hand held device almost instantaneously. Facebook and social media in general has the power to bring people together and the power to tear them apart, as we have seen most recently in the ongoing Covid Mandate Debate.

So why do I suggest deleting facebook? This is a question I’ve contemplated many times over. I have done tech detoxes, deleted the app from my phone and enabled time restrictions to prevent overuse –and yet, I still feel the overwhelming hold this app has on me. Each time I contemplate deletion, I compile a running list of pros and cons. The list usually goes something like this:

Pros: Keep my photos organized, get to look back on memories with my family and friends in a timeline structure, stay connected to local user groups, keeps me connected so I don’t miss out on events and invites, able to share my writing, podcast easily and seamlessly etc…

Cons: Negativity of comments sections, endless mindless scrolling, wasting time, not using it productively, get lost in a comparative mindset with others, kids see me on it and call me out, overall icky feeling when I overuse it…

Ultimately, I haven’t deleted it yet because I fear I will miss out on something, yes FOMO – Ill stop being connected, I will miss an invite, my voice won’t be heard, my posts won’t be seen… I will be forgotten.  And isn’t that what facebook counts on really? Our human desire to be seen and heard — to feel important?

My rational brain knows I will in fact be MORE connected to nature, my kids, my family, my close friends, if I delete the app for good. Should I want to share my voice, surely I can find other avenues to do so. But then, why is it so hard? Why do I keep putting it off? I’m sure it is the same reason many people still use it, even though they don’t like it.

Francis Haugen, fb whistleblower, compared fb to tabacco companies, suggesting intervention is required to set the company straight. She spoke about the known harms that facebook causes and how the company ignores the harms in order to boost profits.

Fb and other apps have found ways to hook us in and hook us for good. The science and time behind building these apps, algorithms, features, notifications… are all designed to hook us. If you haven’t watched “The Social Dilemma” do it after reading this.

Remember in October when both Instagram and Facebook went down for several hours? I found myself continuously checking the apps, trying to upload a post with no luck. When I found out both apps were down, I felt relief. There was something about knowing I was not the only one. I wasn’t alone, so I wasn’t missing anything. I found myself hoping it would be down forever and just like that the hold fb had on me was lifted. The weight was gone. I felt like my day freed up. But it wasn’t down forever, and after only several hours, everything was back to usual and the hold returned. Even as I am writing this, I realize how silly it sounds, and maybe even a little bit embarrassing, but it is true.

Later in talking with others I discovered I was not alone in this feeling of wishing the app stayed down. People feel an attachment to social media and it seems to be getting worse. I know for me, it is an addiction. I can feel the dopamine release as I scroll mindlessly, thrown into an abyss of content I honestly don’t really care about, yet I continue to scroll, searching for answers to questions I never asked, hoping the device will provide them. Searching for something that assures me, “it’s okay, you are okay, we will all be okay”… but it never comes, so I scroll on.

So what can we do? What can you do? Is it really time to ditch fb? I don’t need a scientific study to know the negative effects it has on me. The amount of time I’ve wasted on fb could have been used- writing, learning guitar, playing with my kids, cleaning, baking and so on. Even as I wrote this, I checked fb three times. The endless pull into the social media world is real- whether you participate in posting or simply scroll and take in the endless content, the pull is there.

My final straw came when I heard Mark Zuckerberg discussing his vision for the metaverse… if you haven’t seen the promo video yet, it is both horrifying and comical. This virtual reality world and a deeper push to become more submersed into tech is a huge red flag for me and a signal to “get the fuck out” now and stay connected to the real world for as long as possible.

Facebook has become more then just an app. It consumes us and uses our data to make money. Have you ever heard the quote, “If you are not paying for it, you are the product.” As we are consumed in it we compare, we argue, we defend, we post, we play roles portrayed for all to see and through that the algorithm continues to feed us the content we most consume, and we continue to be fed ads suited just for us, group suggestions suited just for us and so on. Both the best and worst human traits are emphasized on social media, but neither represent truth.

It has come to a point where none of it feels sincere, I question my own authenticity with every post or “almost” post. Every picture I contemplate sharing, I question why? Why am I sharing this? Who is it for?

So now I think I am ready. Now I simply disappear. I retreat into the real world wholeheartedly. I will simply stop existing to some, while others may wonder where I went. Those who truly matter will have my number or know where I live and life will go on. Many others won’t notice at all, and maybe that is okay. Is it time to delete facebook for good? For me the answer is yes, how about you?

Click here to learn how to save your photos and other facebook content before deleting.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this. Do you think about deleting facebook? What is holding you back? Use the comment section below.

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Links to check out:

One third of Americans get their news from Facebook

Francis Haugen- Youtube