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Original poster

Anyone permanently left Facebook?

17 replies

ShutItMorrissey · 02/09/2019 07:52

I'm considering it. I'm a serial deactivator for all sorts of reasons - the time I waste on it, the FOMO factor (even though I know that a lot of the gushy holiday/food/I'm so HAPPY pics and posts are a bit of a sham), the constant 'noise' iyswim. And then there's the privacy factor, of course.

All of it feels a bit overwhelming sometimes. Having to make sure I reply to everyone's comments and so on and worrying that they think I'm rude if I miss something. I get terribly anxious about it.

I feel much happier when I'm not on it but it's also a bit of a lifeline to me in that most of my friends are 'virtual' and I don't interact with anyone much outside it - I've no real life friends and usually that's fine, but sometimes it's nice to be able to share a photo or chat with people.

If you left Facebook do you regret it or has it been one of the best things you ever did?

OP posts:

mrspotatohed · 02/09/2019 07:55

I deactivated when I was about 21/22, so a view years ago now. I don't miss it at all

JuneFromBethesda · 02/09/2019 07:57

I haven’t used it for almost 10 years now. I have absolutely no regrets.

YeahNahWhal · 02/09/2019 07:58

Yeah, I don't miss it one bit. My closest friends are on Instagram and I'm careful with who I follow and allow to follow me on there. Feels easier to be in control, weirdly.

Crunchymum · 02/09/2019 08:03

I left in 2008 (only joined in 2007!!) as it was just too much.

Sane, rational friends were looking up exes / new partners exes / competing with the number of friends they could get. Final straw was an ex colleague offering me sex via FB (and yep he was married)

It was still in its infancy and we all had a lot to learn (noone used the privacy settings back then etc)

Never missed it!!

I do have a profile now but it's purely so I could join a few groups related to DC3 medical condition. Profile is locked down, has nothing that identifies me (generic picture, very little personal info). All my "friends" are again related to my childs medical condition. I have no RL family or friends as FB friends.

MashedSpud · 02/09/2019 08:05

Yes, I left years ago. Never regretted it.

areyoubeingserviced · 02/09/2019 08:07

I have never had a Facebook account and I don’t intend to get one,

MrsMozartMkII · 02/09/2019 08:09

Me.

I found I had become The Scroller! Bleugh.

Lost so much time to it.

Admittedly it did help with my wonky health group and for that I'll always be thankful, but the rest was not for me.

Zillie77 · 02/09/2019 08:11

I left Facebook a few years ago when I realized that I hadn’t taken the time to call my best friend in months but was spending hours everyday on the site.

I don’t regret it. My friends and family text and/or email me news and photos they want me to see knowing that I won’t see it there.

Stayawayfromitsmouth · 02/09/2019 08:15

I haven't deactivated but I rarely use it. I used to use it to share photos with my friends and a lot of them used to arrange events on there. We use different apps for those now so the only things I look at are local marketplace and local activities/ events. Very few of my actual friends seem to post anymore and a lot have deactivated.
I became a bit reclusive when I had newborns and toddlers and Facebook made the feeling of isolation worse. I try to make an effort to meet up with people in real life.

barnet · 02/09/2019 08:15

Yes me, It doesn’t enrich my life. I like a few real interactions much more.

Original poster

ShutItMorrissey · 02/09/2019 08:31

Thanks all for your views.

*I left in 2008 (only joined in 2007!!) as it was just too much.

Sane, rational friends were looking up exes / new partners exes / competing with the number of friends they could get*

This has not changed in the 12 years since you left

@areyoubeingserviced DH has absolutely no online presence (no FB or other social media, no review sites, nothing) and I often envy how free he is from it all. He's never once felt like he's missing out, in fact quite the opposite as he's able to use the time he'd spend online doing other stuff.

@MrsMozartMkII I've become The Scroller too! When in the past I'd be reading a book or whatever, I'm scrolling. And even when I am reading, I find myself stopping to scroll regularly and as a result don't immerse myself in what I'm doing so much. I know what you mean about groups, though - I'm in one where I've met some really lovely people through a shared interest. I miss talking to them when I deactivate.

I became a bit reclusive when I had newborns and toddlers and Facebook made the feeling of isolation worse

I don't have small DC anymore but I can totally believe this. It's odd how something which purportedly widens your circle and allows you to interact with others easily can actually make you feel more isolated, but it does. I suffer bouts of quite crippling depression and FB makes them worse, not better, partly because of this. Seeing everybody on their nights out/doing stuff when I don't even have the energy/will to leave the house.

OP posts:

Original poster

ShutItMorrissey · 02/09/2019 08:32

*in the 11 years since you left. I can count, honest

OP posts:

TheGirlWithTheFeatherTat · 02/09/2019 08:34

I deactivated my profile months ago with the intention of having a short break (for mental health) and haven't been back on. I'd like to go back on but I would probably unfriend alot of people

ItIsWhatItIsInnit · 02/09/2019 08:34

Yes, I left in 2017 and have never looked back. I used to spend 6 hours a day on it, reminiscing through my old photos, scrolling endlessly and stalking people - of course now that's replaced with MN/Daily Mail/poker (sitting on the internet is going to be a hard habit to break...). But I'm a lot more mentally healthy for not having social media. I don't compare myself to other people because I don't know what they're doing!

Yes, friends do forget to invite me to stuff and I'm not as up to date with our group, but I don't really care. It would have happened with age. I'm 26, not really into drinking and partying and cool cocktail bars anymore, I want to buy a house and start a family, so all the posts I was seeing from my London friends weren't really that interesting to me anyway.

Lucafritz · 02/09/2019 08:36

Im considering leaving it soon i don't think it would be a good distraction to have once my baby arrives and i spend way to much time procrastinating on it as it is i have Twitter and Snapchat and WhatsApp so I'd still be able to contact friends etc but i have a slight worry about not been able to monitor my sisters activity regarding posts about my baby as she has form for overstepping boundaries and if i say no pics of the baby online she'll just go ahead and post away or even worse announce my birth for me along with gruesome pic of me just after giving birth so for that reason i haven't deleted it

raffle · 02/09/2019 08:37

I’ve never been on FB or any social media platform ever, I’m 40 so for my generation this is unusual. I just realised really early on that I’m not up for people knowing anything much about my life, family etc. I’ve got tons of friends that I ring/text/meet. I suppose I can’t miss what I’ve never had!

Original poster

ShutItMorrissey · 02/09/2019 17:53

I just realised really early on that I’m not up for people knowing anything much about my life, family etc

I've come to this realisation, too. Even though I don't use my real name on my Facebook account and thought I covered my tracks pretty well, an ex still found me. Of course all he had to do was track me through my connections and a few posts I'd made on public pages. It's weird knowing that so many people know so much about me.

I have Twitter which I rarely use these days (was a bit addicted a few years ago however). No Instagram or Snapchat or anything else, though.

OP posts:

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