to think Facebook is quite toxic and to have a break from it

[smallspikyleaves]

with a view to leaving? been off for 2 days now

I just waste too much time on there, its just the same stuff all the time, I do find myself showing off about stuff,. airing laundry, vaguebooking, talking politics, sharing petitions, pics of my kids, selfies, basically all the stuff you are not meant to do yes I am THAT annoying friend

has anyone else left successfully? and for good?

although pretty sure I will end up back on tbh as I am so nosey

Lucky you Laguna, I'm not for a second saying happiness and Facebook use are mutually exclusive.

Just that, for me, it seemed to be a slow burning sort of irritant that I am happier without.

I use mine for group stuff - works well for that - and vague staying in touch -but quite selective about friends etc. I quite often don't check my timeline for stuff - and get quite annoyed if people expect me to 'know' about stuff they have posted.

Never have any drama - it's just a communication tool not a lifestyle choice.

Laguna sorry, I only just saw your earlier post about people seeming smug about leaving FB.

I definitely wasn't trying to prove your point, in an ideal world I would still be on FB, friends with only my real friends and family and not using it to waste time endlessly.

Leaving FB was because I had lots of people who I couldn't de-friend or unfollow but whose posts used to annoy the hell out of me but yet I would still find myself drawn back to opening it and getting my daily hit of irritation. That is not productive, if I was using it to stay in touch with the people I love then that would be completely different and would be productive. Sorry... rambling...

I think you should delete your FB OP, you're probably bugging a lot of people with that kind of shit.
I think it can be pretty good used correctly.

I deleted my account about 5 years ago. Once I got over the "missing out" part I've never considered rejoining. I use whatsapp to stay in touch with friends overseas.

Personally it was toxic for me.

I want to do it. But I daren't.

Every time I go on it I am pissed off.

Its like if you are not constantly 'posting' you don't have a life.

And people make an activity out of everything.

Child pestering father at work: 'Fun times with Daddy in the office'.

Shoot me now, please, and be quick about it.

I like it as a way to keep in touch with friends and family. But it definitely seems to bring out the worst in some people. Or maybe it just makes their behaviour more obvious than it would be in real life!

I don't like attention-seeking posts or endless whinges about trivial things. But worse than that are all the competitive responses. It's like people can't just be sympathetic, but they must be the most sympathetic.

I don't mind sharing petitions, as long as people don't post something sanctimonious about it.

My biggest gripe is all the posts about good deeds. Either people sharing a good deed they have done or a good deed that they have witnessed or received usually in a way that shows them to secretly be the hero. I find it really tacky. Also the posts are often really patronising about homeless or poor or disabled people. And sometimes they include photographs, which look as though they have been taken without the subject's knowledge or consent.

Sorry, that turned into a huge Facebook rant

I think YABU to blame Facebook. It is just a tool, which, like many other things can be used in positive or negative ways. It's all down to the people who use it. People would always be like this, but prior to Facebook we wouldn't know! But YANBU to take a break or leave if you do not enjoy it.

I don't check it as often as I used to, and I tend to just read and respond to posts and messages from family and friendship groups rather than reading my entire newsfeed.

I stopped checking FB in September, and don't regret it at all. The first week or so, I was wanting to "just have a quick look" every day, be once I got past that, it was surprisingly easy. I don't miss it. I should probably delete my profile completely now, though, so that people don't think I'm still active on it.

I came off it - but rejoined as some clubs only is FB for info sharing - very annoying - I have not re added anybody - however I have a list of friend requests -

Some previous friends have taken the hump that they've been deleted - as if I no longer want them as friends - but hey ho - some people are shallow!!

I don't get anything remotely toxic. Anyone that posts too many generic " share" images get taken off. None of my Facebook friends puts on too many smug photos either.
I love it for quick private messaging and Facebook selling. Sold lots of stuff this weekend and it was paid for and collected in one afternoon. Much better than waiting a week on eBay and having to post it all off.

Ugh. I'd forgotten about all the inspirational quotes. One thing I find quite entertaining is to click on profiles of people posting nasty things in comments under articles etc. to see how many Bible quotes and/or inspirational quotes they post

Few of my friends post quotes, thankfully. Though personality quizzes seem to be quite popular

It's annoying really as I loath and love Facebook in equal amounts. I do keep one but am not addicted I like the groups I'm in and it's kind of good when dating to check people out but often times family issues upset me as favouritism is writhe and rubbed in which genuinely hurts. A few years back I suffered badly with jealousy in a relationship so Facebook always cropped up as an issue for me then too ! Nowadays apart from the family issues I enjoy going on there. That being said o e of the worst videos I've ever seen automatically played on FB from a family member and I can't "unsee" it. That feature is not on Facebook now but I am way more In control of settings. It's a real love/hate relationship !

And I'd find myself sort of grumpy or snappy after it sometimes

yes duggum that's how I was, not sure why, cant be good can it

I deleted all my photos/statuses etc & deactivated about a year ago. Couldn't for some reason work out how to delete!. Anyway not missed it at all. I dont by any means think im superior for getting rid and alot of my friends are still enjoying it but personally it irritated the crap out of me. I had "127 friends" and when i came off 2 people said "arent you on fb now?" considering i posted weekly its good to know i was sorely missed.

You must have some very toxic people in your life if FB makes you that angry.

Apart from a fun way to keep in touch with family and friends without going into too many private details, I would miss the school groups. It's so useful to be in touch with other mums when you have questions about anything school related. It's true, the sales sites are brilliant.

Facebook have done a huge amount of data collection and tracking, not only of its logged in users, but also logged out users and those who don't even use FB.

Outrage as NHS allows Facebook tracking of website users Alphr.com November 2010

Facebook tracks all visitors breaching EU law The Guardian March 2015

Facebook users sue site over data collection, demand compensation for privacy breaches Independent April 2015

and those who don't even use FB.

... that is, people who've visited a page on FB without being a registered user or logging in.

From the March 2015 Guardian article above: "Facebook tracks the web browsing of everyone who visits a page on its site even if the user does not have an account or has explicitly opted out of tracking in the EU, extensive research commissioned by the Belgian data protection agency has revealed."

Out of curiosity those deleting Facebook because of the amount of time it wastes, realising you get snappy about wasting that time, could be reading a book or watching TV etc...do you not feel the same about mumsnet?! I'm genuinely asking because a while ago I decided to not go on mumsnet anymore and I actually read more books and properly watched TV programmes rather than half watching. I imagine that's the same with fb. I came back on mn because I got pregnant with my 2nd baby and I felt so miserable and sick and ill I really needed some advice / support from others who had experienced really terrible pregnancy sickness. And then I got hooked again!

I'm hoping when I feel better I'm going to cut down on mn and on fb! And read some more books again. Maybe.

i dunno foxessocks the chat on mn is a bit better than fb shite ;)

i know what you mean though

I had thought about it for a long time and I finally deactivated my account last May and I can honestly say I dont miss it. You can do it Op. If you go back it will only be the same old boring posts people upload.

Alibab I was one of those gym/cycling posters

Neither DH or I are on Facebook and a few of our friends aren't either. Really not sure it impacts us at all, other than on the odd occasion someone is organising something and they have to text us details instead hardship
We use Whatsapp for sending photos/updates to people who don't live near us.
I'm sure it has it's upsides, but Facebook seems to be for checking up on other people who are checking up on you.

Beetrootbetty thats ok, of course not everyone that deletes FB is smug but I've seen it so many times on these threads. Mind you it was the same last week about TV and the snobby judgments that TV was not ok because it was rubbish but Radio 4 was perfectly acceptable because that was "entertainment."

Facebook is what you make it, so if friends post shite you can unfriend, unfollow but remain friends, hide their posts, hide certain posts, etc. I have a friend who I like 50% of what she posts and hide the other 50% that makes me go "oh god, not another one of those posts". I only have FB friends that are friends and family, so no-one I don't know or only met once, and follow lots of feel good pages such as artists and animal sanctuaries. Anyone I can't stand gets blocked. I love FB because I'm strict with it.

I use it. It doesn't make me anxious. People don't post pictures of food often. I've no facists on my friends list. I've no concerns with it.