There is a lot to say about facebook. I got into it my freshman year in college five years ago. As of two days ago, I elected to finally dump it. I sent an e-mail to
privacy@facebook.com. I recently got an e-mail saying that the process to permanently delete was underway and will be finished in no more than 14 days.
It was not a tough decision. It was rather an overdue move that was the result of an impulsive decision. I could have left facebook much earlier, as I was aware of the terrible effect it was having on my psyche not long after joining it. But my delay was due to my addiction to facebook. During my time as a member, I wanted to stay aboard in the event I missed something if I left (i.e. an unexpected friend or family member of mine joining facebook). Or an opportunity to post a photo album down the road which may lead to lots of comments and subsequent "fame" amongst the facebook community. The latter motivation seems a bit out there, but is inevitably a factor into why many people seem to stay on facebook. Facebook is, after all, a popularity contest.
I was the type of facebooker that created a status every day or two. I am aware that a healthy medium may have been reached with some thoughtfulness, like many achieve, where use is far more seldom. This method still allows for remaining in contact with friends without the need to be in everyone's faces all the time in their newsfeeds. But, my personality is that - I thrive off of getting peoples' attention. I don't mean this in a bad way. I used to write about many different things which resulted in, mainly, the same types of people responding. I almost felt like I needed to live up to the image I was creating for others to banter with. While I did not lie or embellish my outside life to my facebook friends, I did feel an obligation to the people who kept responding (often family) and those whom I had some meaningful friendship with in the outside world to prolong my communication with them in the event that if I seemed too aloof they'd drop me as a friend. I am not terrified by the prospect of being unfriended, but I am not the type who likes to burn bridges either, especially if it's avoidable.
At the end of the day, these extremely trivial fears caused me to become overwhelmed with friends, friends' lives, and the overall culture that defines facebook. Why did I spend days - weeks - maybe even months of my life on facebook? I really don't think I got anything beneficial out of it. I say the people who "get" facebook use it as merely a supplement to a flourishing social life instead of as a substitute. I have people who I regularly communicate with outside of facebook, so I am not removed from actual social interaction. But it did become a means to shoot the **** to an extent where I became concerned about people and lives that otherwise had no effect on me.
Once again, as a disclaimer, I know there are smarter people than me who know how to use facebook properly. But does anyone else feel detested with the culture of facebook? How it has the power to eat away at your sanity because of people and comments that promote gossip and negativity rather than what they should be promoting? Anyone feel me on this? Part of my dismay may also be the effect of the types of people I'm connected to.
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