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For the past 100 years or so, there have been huge improvements in communication. From letters to phone calls to text messages to video calls to social networks. Following all these improvements, one of the biggest inventions of the 21st century was founded in 2004[1]. After only a few years, it started to spread like wildfire – first in the US and then around the world.
Now, leaving Facebook has become nearly unheard of.
There are more than 1 billion monthly active Facebook users. Although it was initially aimed to bring all people together, its effects on the masses became a huge debate. Many people are even suggesting deactivating your account.
The advantages of social media and its ability to connect us to people around the world are well known. Now, it’s time to dive into the ways Facebook affects your productivity and why you should ultimately consider quitting Facebook.
Why You Should Consider Quitting Facebook
1. Facebook Allows You to Waste Time
While being on Facebook and scrolling through the news feed, many active users are not aware of the time they spend viewing others’ life events or messaging with Facebook messenger. It has become so addictive that many even feel obliged to like or comment on anything that is shared.
You might think of the time spent on Facebook as your free time. However, you may not be aware that you can spend the same time taking care of yourself, learning something new, or doing your daily tasks.
If you want to take over your attention and stop letting social media like Facebook distract you from focusing on important things in life, get this free guide End Distraction And Find Your Focus.
2. It Can Decrease Motivation
You may have seen your friends continuously post about the parties they went to or friends they see frequently. Because of this, you might feel insecure about yourself if your posts are not as impressive as the ones in your news feed.
However, there is rarely such a thing as going out every day or having amazing vacations every year. Unfortunately, though, we internalize the posts we see and create a picture in our minds of how others are living.
One study found that “participants who used Facebook most often had poorer trait self-esteem, and this was mediated by greater exposure to upward social comparisons on social media”[2].
When we see posts depicting lives we consider “better” than ours, our self-esteem takes a hit. As many of us are doing this for hours at a time, you can imagine the toll it’s taking on our mental health. Therefore, if you want to raise your self-esteem, leaving Facebook may be a good idea.
3. You Use Energy on People You Don’t Care About
Look at the number of friends you have on Facebook. How many of them are really good friends? How many of the friend requests you get are real people or your actual acquaintances?
You have to admit that you have people on Facebook who are not related to you and some you barely know, but who still comment on their photos or offer a like now and again. Instead of offering your time and energy to the genuinely rewarding relationships in your life, you’re spending it on people you don’t care about.
4. Facebook Feeds You Useless Information
It is one thing to read newspapers or magazines to get information, but it is an entirely different thing to be faced with false news, trends, and celebrity updates through Facebook posts.
Facebook is the worst perpetrator of fake news in the world, and its users are becoming more vulnerable each day to false stories.
Because of the wealth of information on Facebook as well as its targeting capabilities, fake news can easily target susceptible users who are more likely to believe it and spread the information to their Facebook friends.
This type of news is specifically created to change the beliefs and behavior of people. These posts may seem harmless at first, but they can be monumental in helping their users form an opinion on national matters such as elections. It can even pose security concerns and be used by hackers to steal information.
Unfortunately, Facebook’s regulations are not enough to curb news, and according to whistleblower Frances Haugen, Facebook knows this. The lack of safety controls is even more intense in non-English speaking markets such as the Middle East and Africa. [3]
I bet one of the things that you will not miss after leaving Facebook is the bombardment of information that seems to not affect your life whatsoever.
5. It Damages Your Communication Skills
When is the last time you hung out in real life with your friends, relatives, or colleagues? Because social media is supposed to help us communicate, we forget about real communication, Therefore, have difficulties communicating effectively in real life. This negatively affects our relationships at home, work, or in our social circles.
In many ways, the overuse of Facebook suggests that having fewer face-to-face interactions is completely normal. Individuals are now starting to associate social media-based communication as the only means of communicating properly with their peers.
However, humans are inherently social creatures. We are motivated to seek out and nurture relationships with other people, and this happens through multiple communication channels.
But with Facebook, the majority of communication only happens through video, images, or text. This new form of communication is barren when compared to rich and complex face-to-face conversation.
6. You Get Manipulated
One of the biggest problems of Facebook is its influence on people’s creativity. Although it is assumed to be a free social media site, which lets you share almost anything you want, you have this tendency to want to get more likes[4].
To get more likes, you must work very hard on your shared posts, trying to make them funny, creative, or clever, while you could spend the same time doing something that genuinely improves your creativity. After quitting Facebook, you’ll be amazed at all the creative hobbies you have time to develop.
7. You Can Get More Work Done
When you don’t have to worry about getting distracted every five minutes by your Facebook notification, you will be surprised at how much your productivity will skyrocket. One of the worst things about Facebook is it constantly interrupts you when you’re at work, or while you are doing something meaningful.
Every time you check your notifications, you are multitasking, and this makes your work take longer. More than that, it also decreases the quality of your output. Juggling multiple tasks at once like checking Facebook and working on a work report will reduce your productive time, and that’s a high price to pay for something in exchange for a few likes.
8. It Takes Over Your Life
The marketing strategy of Facebook is quite clear. Its creators want you to spend as much time as possible on the site. While working on their posts and choosing which pictures to share, many people try to be someone else. This often means they end up being isolated from the real world and their true selves.
It is possible to put the same time and energy toward becoming a better version of yourself instead of faking it. Why not try it by quitting Facebook?
How to Quit Facebook – Deactivate or Delete Your Facebook Account
You may think you’re the only person who is leaving Facebook, but the truth is, millions have done it.
Contrary to what you think, deleting and deactivating your Facebook account are not the same. Deactivating your Facebook will grant you the flexibility to return anytime. On the other hand, deleting your account is a permanent action.
When you deactivate your Facebook, all your posts, friends list, and timeline will be hidden and other people won’t be able to search your account. However, the messages you have sent and other information will still be retained, including your friends and posts in case you reactivate your account. You can also keep using your Facebook Messenger, as well as use Facebook login for other apps like Instagram and Whatsapp.
When you delete Facebook, you won’t regain access to your account and everything associated with it will also be gone. This is why Facebook delays account deletion in case you still change your mind.
Whatever your reasons are for wanting to deactivate or delete your Facebook, here’s how you can do it.
- Click the top rightmost icon on your Facebook, besides the notification and messenger icons.
- Select “Your Facebook Information” in the left column.
- Click “Deactivation and Deletion.”
- If you want to deactivate your Facebook, choose “Deactivate Account,” and continue to “Account Deactivation.” Then, follow the instructions to confirm.
- You can also choose “Delete Account,” then click “Continue to Account Deletion.”
- You will be asked to provide your password. Finally, select “Continue.” If you chose this step, you can still cancel your account deletion if it has been less than 30 days. After 30, it will be permanently deleted. However, this process can take as long as 90 days.
- Finally, you can delete your Facebook app.
Final Thoughts
There are many reasons to try quitting Facebook. By knowing how it may be impacting your productivity and mental health, you can search for motivation to get off social media and back into your real life.
These points will guide you in seeing what your life would be like if you were to delete your account. Leaving Facebook doesn’t sound so bad after all, does it?
| [1] | ^ | The Guardian: A brief history of Facebook |
| [2] | ^ | Psychology of Popular Media Culture: Social comparison, social media, and self-esteem. |
| [3] | ^ | The Guardian: Frances Haugen: ‘I Never Wanted to be a Whistleblower. But Lives Were in Danger |
| [4] | ^ | Better by Today: Do Facebook ‘Likes’ Mean You’re Liked? |
