First off let me say that I
like facebook. I am not *entirely* knocking it and I know some people who may not agree or understand my point of view. It has it's good parts. I know it can be utilized in positive and encouraging ways. But after praying and pondering about it, I have decided to cut ties with facebook. I'm only sharing why I'm leaving because I know people will ask me, and I also don't want people to think I just randomly blocked them all of a sudden.
There are three main reasons why I want to leave facebook, and why I don't really regret it at all...
1.) It's not for everyone (anymore)
When I joined facebook back in 2006 or so, it was mainly a place to connect with each other's friends through pictures (hence the name--FACEbook). After facebook began allowing people to join who weren't tied to a college or university network, it became very common for people to log on and look at other people's photos and updates more often, which was great. It's now evolved into a major advertising source full of business platforms and corporate ties. (BOO!) This isn't necessarily a
total bad thing--I shop on facebook all the time. At the same time though, I wish corporations didn't have such strong ties to the facebook realm these days, because I do not wish to be "tracked" like a statistic as I am just trying to share photos of my babies with family and friends. You click on an article you see and next thing you know there are three or four more very similar below it. Or you open a new tab and search for something in Google. After you come back to facebook and refresh, most of the time the ads on the side of your facebook page are similar to the thing you just searched for. I know other apps can track you too, but I think facebook uses this information far too much.
I logged into facebook a few days ago and it asked me if I wanted to add a rainbow overlay to my profile picture to support "pride". Umm, no thanks... And then I wonder, why, facebook, have you never prompted me (or at least given me the option) to add a cross overlay? I have PRIDE in my God. Or an American Flag overlay? Because I have PRIDE for my country... See what I mean? Facebook isn't very welcoming for everyone anymore. Or maybe it's just not for me and my beliefs.
2.) It's a thief
Let's be honest. Brutally honest. We spend way too much time opening this little app on our iPhones. At least I know I do. My reason for this is mostly because it sends me notifications when people say something to me on facebook, and I am not the type of person who will just ignore you. I always try to respond quickly, as if I'm leaving someone hanging. This is the same with text messages, emails, and phone calls. I know if I don't respond or pick up the phone immediately I will simply forget about calling or writing someone back.
I enjoy seeing pictures of my friends and their sweet families, but at the same time, I do NOT enjoy the disturbing news headlines, photos, hatefulness and violence. So essentially, facebook robs me of my time and it robs me of my happiness. Waking up and checking my news feed and seeing some junk about murders, child abuse, and terror attacks is not enjoyable. Seeing people bash each other and use foul language is not enjoyable. Seeing spam is not enjoyable.
So, while I am busy trying to filter through "share so you won't die in 30 seconds" posts and a sea of random recipes to actually get to the sweet pictures and uplifting updates, facebook is ultimately stealing time away from my husband and our three sweet babies.
3.) I am nostalgic
I am a first grade teacher and I smell Crayola crayons on a daily basis, but even so, that smell still takes me back to my first day of school, 20 years ago. I can still hear a song on the radio and remember singing it in the back of my Dad's car.
I simply miss the old days.
What I mean in this aspect is that before facebook, we all kept up with one another through phone calls and get-togethers. For some, maybe it was school or work or sports teams or church. But we developed
meaningful relationships with people--relationships that went beyond "facebook friends". And since we had to put forth more effort to maintain those relationships, in my opinion, people felt more appreciated, loved, and understood. I am not knocking friendships on facebook, but I honestly prefer more personal relationships. Being friends with people on facebook is unlike any other social media site. Most other sites just follow other people's photos (instagram) or their short phrases (twitter). Facebook allows you to share and following pretty much anything... Again, not necessarily a bad thing, it's just not my preference.
I actually saw a facebook "friend" in Wal-Mart several weeks ago and even though she "liked" all my photos and posts all the time, it was clear she had no intention of speaking to me after I smiled and waved at her and she continued to walk right by me. It was very awkward and even a bit irritating that she saw everything I posted on facebook, but didn't care to even speak to me in person. Life with facebook often means that even though its great you get to interact with lots of people you know and care for, you don't get to see them in person as often as you would like. Yeah, I know I
could, but unlike other social sites, it has the ability to allow you to interact with people in many different ways, as often as you like, so you ultimately don't have to catch-up in person. That's what I miss. Being able to laugh and smile WITH people, and not just AT their posts.
So... with that said. I'm keeping my blog, and I'm keeping my Instagram because (believe it or not) I'm not a total social media hater. I still want to see pictures of my friends and family and I still want to share photos of my babies, but I just don't think Facebook is the best option for me anymore. My little blog and the simplicity of Instagram is enough for me I think. Not saying I won't miss all the good stuff, but the bad has begun to outweigh the good I find on facebook. Hope you'll join me on Insta if you haven't already. :)
Peace and Hugs, facebook friends!
