Social media - have you come off?

Deleting FB is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. 10 years and counting. It was surprisingly difficult to totally cancel it and I did have some FOMO for a while, but it was worth it.

I've come off everything apart from scrolling on TikTok or forums like this one. No Facebook, Instagram, twitter etc.

Occasionally feel a bit left out if people are talking about what they've seen/heard, but mostly it's been a positive experience. I have more time for reading, spend less time scrolling. When I'm enjoying a moment, my first thought isn't to take a photo and try out a million different filters, with a caption saying I feel lucky 🤣

I was going through a horrible situation in my life when I deleted it, after seeing everyone's happy and positive posts. When my situation got better and I got back to posting more positive stuff, I realised I'm only contributing to the problem, as it was likely one of my friends or followers could be going through something awful, and I'm here posting about my 'great life', which is all lies and filters anyway.

I came off FB just before I got married and that was over 6 years ago now.

I definitely don't miss it and I catch up with my abroad friends via WhatsApp and phone call / video.

I thought I'd miss it but I really don't.

Deleted instagram a year ago previously been off it. 3 year stint before that. Have fb but deleted ALL my friends and only follow useful local pages, playgroups etc

I just have FB & only go on to check our local events/weather pages & sometimes for a nosy. It doesn’t make me in any way envious, guilty etc. I know the people behind the perfect posts so I’m well aware of the reality. I think of it has a negative effect, I would come off it.

Im starting to dislike SM more and more, it definitely robs us of our time

FB - have had it for about 16 years, now i rarely post, often scroll (pointlessly) but i do like the groups/pages I follow for help/advice and general information regarding hobbies. I also find lots of meal inspiration, styling ideas etc. cannot be arsed with the ‘oh my world, look at us’ type posts.

Twitter - I do have an account but never use it, it seems a very toxic place

Insta - I like following food/lifestyle, comedians etc on here but I definitely use it less these days.

TikTok - i dont use it much, but i do find it good for cooking/lifestyle videos.

SnapChat - i use it very rarely to post, I only got this as my teens use it and I was fed up of them not replying in whats app, its easier to get them on snapchat.

whatsapp/messenger - use both to message friends

and it appears that DH and I are very old school and we text/imessage each other 🤣 its literally only DH or my parents who text (my parents call 99.9% of the time). I like imessages as i can easily search back years of convo if we need to find details etc.

i think SM can be a very toxic place especially for young people.

i have fairly recently discovered MN and i do enjoy a scroll on here and have found the teens threads which is very useful and relative right now.

Never forget, we only see what people want us to see on SM, the lovely family days out, the angelic kids, fabulous holidays, often never the real stuff from life.

No but I don’t feel the same way you do, your DH is right and you’d feel a lot better if you stopped comparing yourself to others. Social media can be toxic for some people.

@SprigatitoYouAndIKnow I follow a gardening Facebook page, it's lovely and really useful. Although I do get a tad jealous of other people's gardens😅. But that's outweighed by the really helpful tips and lovely people on there.

I gave up. It was fine. I realised it was a good idea after we had a power outage for a couple of hours and I felt much more human afterwards.

It all depends who and what you follow. I am mostly on gardening and feed your family on a budget type groups. Distinct lack of bronzed beauties on beaches there! Lots of good tips and information and no self esteem issues.

Yes, I came off nearly 3 years ago now. It has been wonderful. My head is no longer full of the details of the lives of 100s of people- many of whom I haven’t seen in years, and/or only have a passing acquaintance with. It’s hard to explain the head space and peace it gives you. I don’t think I was even particularly comparing myself negatively with anyone, as I’m happy with my life, but it was just exhausting having to keep up with/comment on/ ponder over the lives of people that I really don’t see that often or (to be honest) care about that much. Life it so much simpler. I find out about things later, because I don’t see the holiday photos or the baby photos or whatever- but it’s fine, my real friends still keep me in the loop, and I do the same with them. I recommend it.

I'm only on Facebook for photos school post and local news/events etc. Not on anything else.
I never post on Facebook anymore.

I got rid of Facebook a few months ago but still use messenger. I feel tons better for it and my screen time has halved.

Weirdly, now its been a while I feel pretty daunted at the thought of logging back on but I can't articulate why.

No but I don’t feel the same way you do, your DH is right and you’d feel a lot better if you stopped comparing yourself to others. Social media can be toxic for some people.

There's one thing you have to ask yourself about social media:
Do you feel better (eg slightly more cheerful, optimistic) after looking at posts? Or do you feel worse - slightly down, inadequate, missing out?
If you feel worse, even a little bit, then stop using it. You won't miss it.
I've deleted Instagram. I still have Facebook but almost never look at it and don't post. Never had Tiktok. I sometimes look at Twitter for news.

I haven’t, but I only have close family and close friends on there.

Colleagues used to laugh at me for having 30ish friends and a few openly asked what the point was.

Still use it exactly the same now and I think it makes a difference when you actually want to see the pics and comments of the people on there.

I'm slightly pissed that thanks to Meta, WhatsApp now has companies that have channels, it's like the start of Facebook all over again.

I don't want to follow The Daily Mail or the Lionesses on WhatsApp, it's for messaging or calling people not yet another place to be bombarded with shite.

I have a FB account but it’s rubbish now, I never post, and it’s an endless succession of adverts and content the algorithm thinks I’m interested in but I’m not. I don’t use any other platforms and you know what, life went on!

I deleted all social media. I can't express how freeing it felt ! I didn't miss it once!

Deleted the lot a few years ago, mumsnet aside, and it has been life changing. Could not recommend it more - social media is largely a cancer which cannabalises the very small amount of free time I have

Try it for a week, I doubt you will want to go back

FB is boring now, so I don’t bother.

I'm mostly on instagram, where I follow things I’m interested in. I watch a few stories as I love seeing people’s holidays and interesting things; but I’m not prone to jealousy, so it doesn’t bother me that people are having a good time.

I'm also foreign, so it’s useful for keeping up with family and friends and what they’re doing.

TikTok and Snapchat are my no go zones, as I don’t want to get caught wasting too much time on those addictive beasts. Haven’t been on twitter in over a year - cesspit, but my MN addiction makes up for everything I may be missing elsewhere.

I actually find mumsnetthe hardest to get off. Reason; being? Its full of active posters. Intelligent, thoughtful people, interested in politics, education, the economy. Good content. Facebook is full of junk now, it's lost any decent content. Mn through anonymity and lack of tracking is the online equivalent of the glass of wine with friends that no one can be bothered going for any more.

This is a really good point.

Have never done FB or the like and my arms and legs havn't dropped off....
I know there are uses for it but it causes soooo many problems....

I find facebook boring these days - no one posts any more, and i don't engage with stories because i don't like that people can see who has looked.

Facebook was only ever any fun when it was subversively nosy to be honest.

I hate instagram & tiktok.

I actually find mumsnet the hardest to get off. Reason; being? Its full of active posters. Intelligent, thoughtful people, interested in politics, education, the economy. Good content. Facebook is full of junk now, it's lost any decent content. Mn through anonymity and lack of tracking is the online equivalent of the glass of wine with friends that no one can be bothered going for any more.

The last thing I posted on Facebook or Instagram were photos of something I did with work which was really interesting (it wasn't just me sat at a desk). I use both now as a sort of online photo album.

I'm a member of a couple of local groups and a PA/EA networking group but I don't post anything they're just useful for information. The local one is good if you have a problem and you know others in the area will have had the same (eg boiler problems) or you need a window cleaner/house cleaner.