to ask why you quit Facebook?

[FortifiedWine]

Wrong to post in AIBU? Probably.

History:

Severe Facebook addict from 2008-2016 - ( EIGHT years of doing nothing but endlessly posting shit about my dinner and other mundane events of my life)

First quit in December 2015, due to drama with XP's side of the family. The my side of the family. The friends. The other member of family. Petty stuff. Found myself drawn to MN (had been a lurker for a while) and personally I find I've interacted with more people on here than I ever did with my 'friends' on Facebook! I was sometimes on Facebook everyday - 12-15 hours a day, starting from the moment I woke up till the moment I fell asleep. And for no particular reason, just because simply - I am nosey and enjoy knowing every aspect of distant friends and acquaintances lives.

I am tempted to go back on there... many reason why... a few friends due to give birth and I'd like to see there photos. A few over dramatic friends statuses I've missed. A few support groups/people belonging to these, for personal issues in my life that I miss? It's not always easy to email people, especially if you are not close, just nosey... lol

It's been the longest I've ever been off there so far. No drama from the XP and his family. No drama from friends wondering why I didn't include them in my post. No drama from my mother (I'm late 20s) who is worried about me because I just checked into a Pret a Manger miles from home and mentioned a random guy was asking for my number.

Tell me your experiences. I'd love to know.

I like the quiet life, but still find myself typing it in the search bar after so many years of indoctrination. Does this ever end?!

Ps. have developed unhealthy fixation for posting on Mumsnet

I'm off Facebook. I missed it at first, I don't any more. So much bullshit and it just got me angry. As a result I spend less money as am not on enabling style and beauty pages. The tipping point for me was when a FB starting referring to her embryonic DTs by the nickname I gave my DTs. It's mine. Miiiiiiiine. And that's when I knew it was time to leave

I just find this impossible to comprehend. How can there possibly be enough to see on Facebook to keep you there 12 hours a day?

Surely Mumsnet is WAY more addictive?

I have a look at FB every day or two or three, probably actually spend about 10 minutes a day reading or commenting.

And ... what about your job?

bibbly I've quit my job effective as of two weeks from now, but that's another story!

I do find Mumsnet addictive in the same sort of way. But at least you know you wont drunkenly message your ex on here...

I wasn't on there a full 12 hours. Just checking maybe once an hour away from home, or twice an hour at home. I've realised now how sad that was. And I have got SO much housework I 'don't have time for' done in the process. It's bad. I hear in America people go to rehab for Facebook addication....

I think if you have a small number of friends who don't update every last silly little detail of their day then it can be fun. I certainly find it so. I have 79 friends some of them update their status about twice a year, some twice a day. None of us live out our lives on it.

I quit every few months for about 3/4 weeks. Reasons include;

• too many "inspirational" / insipid quotes
• too many minion pictures
• too many people moaning about other people whilst doing the exact same thing they are moaning about
• too many boasting posts about going out on Friday night to some shithole along with pictures the next day that have all been staged
• one friend posts all her pandora bracelet pictures, all her kids new clothes pictures, new car, new ipad, new gadgets for the kids, gaming chair for her 2 year old, plus all of the presents she buys for her kids - yet never posts any pictures of them outside playing. They don't go to the park, or walk anywhere. It's depressing. *sometimes I get fucked off knowing people can look me up anytime.
• too many tags in buying and selling groups for shit I don't want or need.
• too many "his vs he's" spelling errors. *too many stupid question updates that prove some people have got no idea how Google works.

So yeah, all of that. And more. I'm a miserable bastard.

I swapped to twitter, couldn't stand the narcissism. Love twitter :)

Does anyone know if you can change your deactivation to indefinitely?

You used to be able to; now FB gives to you a drop down menu which automatically reactivates you from between 3-7 days!

The inspirational quotes are a particular annoyance for me. And the 'like to support this tiny child with terminal cancer' photos. Ergh

Oh. The ones that share all the crap posts that's are obviously click bait! "She found out he was cheating... You'll never guess what she did next"

Nor do I fucking care. Get lost.

Sorry op - to answer your question.
I frequently (annually?) take breaks.
I class it as another holiday

Arfur - if you select the option that you 'have another account' it gives you indefinite inactivation, rather than the 'i'll be back'

Thank you Fortified.

I'll try that!

I've also swapped FB for MN.

I got fed up with seeing people I thought I liked/respected letting themselves down with their behaviour on there. I really think it brings out the worst in people.

Also, weirdly, although you get to see the photos of close friends, I didn't really like that as it felt very iimpersonal IYKWIM? If a close friend was going on holiday, I'd rather hear about it from her during a conversation, talk about what she plans to do when there, what is she looking forward to, how did that come about etc. When she gets back I'd like to hear all about it. Not just see selfies of people on beaches.

I stopped posting anything on there, and it's been good, as if friends want to see how you are they get in touch, and you have a proper catch up.

Also I find it strange to have a conversation with a close friend or family member in public for strangers to read. It always seems very 'staged', or something.

Exactly Aye it all felt staged to me. Even with things I was posting. Eg. out eating a nice meal and wondering if I should share with friends. I mean, wtf!

I'm not a particular people person either... I like my own company and it brought out the worst in me I think. Walking into the office every Monday knowing that everyone there had seen my drunken verbal diarrhoea about my Saturday night out and worse... photos I was tagged in snogging some random guy! It killed me.

Loving the isolated life now.

I quit in 2010 for 8 months - shit with work and then with my brother.

TBH FB has its advantages and disadvantages; it depends how you use it and how you allow it to affect your life.

I get wound up very easily and often misinterpret other people's statuses. I am very sensitive and in FB groups, this is never welcomed or accepted! I found myself in my children's birth groups (all founded from MN) and over the years (and months of my recent one) it became cliquey, some people lurked but didn't post for fear of being judged as this happened a lot. People get so comfortable and take risks with their opinions etc and so do others when it comes to criticising and disagreeing. Groups become too big and so fall-outs occur. It is IMPOSSIBLE to expect everyone in a FB group to agree and to 'get along'. Life always finds a way of throwing shit at you.

A recent group I was part of didn't like what I was doing. I kept things quiet - didn't want to involve a LOT of people in a dispute I was having. I never ever discussed it in my group, I made no comments but I was 'discussed' in a conversation I was not part of. Opinions were made, I was ousted as being the person who 'did what they were discussing' but not one person in the entire group asked me about my decision to do what I did nor did they ever find out my reasons for doing it. So I left. I had no choice. It was made clear to me in a private message that my actions would split the group and nobody would talk to me despite my 'actions' been done many weeks beforehand with no consequences. I found the group cliquey, a small group of women were becoming intimidating, vocal in their opinions and dare I say it, a hierarchy appeared in BOTH groups.

Leaving those two groups was the best decision I made. My mind is clearer, I don't feel like I am second guessing everything I do and happy with my choices and decisions without fear of someone judging me. The women claimed to never judge but 'judgeyness' comes in many forms and not necessarily in a vocal way!

I am still a member of one birth group. It actually has slightly more members than my other two but is a lot quieter. Advice is sought, advice is given and we chat and share stuff still but I suppose the ladies are just nicer folk!

I tend to share funny quotes, videos etc on FB rather than post status updates nowadays (a very recent change in my FB behaviour) and I do this mainly to protect myself. Being in those 2 birth groups changed me. I am more cautious about what I say and not as trusting as I used to be. I tend not to share my 'life' (FB profile is super private - profile picture is not me, cover photo is landscape, no other photos or shares can be seen nor can anyone friend request me unless they message me first) because in one group, material possessions I had was used against me when I sought advice about a relative. Never again.

If I was advising anyone who was wanting to open a FB account, I would simply say 'use with caution'. By all means, join support groups but don't put all your marbles in one basket!

I quit for a month last year. It was something I needed. Since then I am now more sensible with what I post on there and I no longer feel the need to share as much as I did previously. I am much happier and content as a result, as I no longer find myself 'competing' with others.

Yes, spud you are so right - never been competitive in RL but on there I'm the total opposite of my normal self. It's weird. May have a quick nosey tonight when no one's online after midnight and de-activate again INSTANTLY... the temptation is too much right now, I am bored

I never joined, because I'm a misanthropic old git who values her privacy and couldn't care less what some random former colleague had for dinner.

I need it for work but I rarely look through the pages and pages of bollocks my 'friends' post on a daily basis.

I do occasionally stalk ex boyfriends from my teenage years to see how good/shit their lives are but that only provides entertainment for two minutes.

I prefer to be here. We're all anonymous so there's no keeping up with the Jones's behaviour and I don't have to scroll through hundreds of 'my kids mean the world to me' posts to see something half interesting.

Another decent use for Facebook is identifying the closet racist. The type who would never say anything over a cuppa, but merrily shares Britain First crap etc, and then detaching them from your life as far as possible!

Every yes! Turned out to be one of my best mates. Awkward.

Now I'm without it - the four people who chose to stay in touch - well I get no BS from them. Bliss.

But still... those baby photos... I'm missing out haha

Don't do it!!! be strong!!

I'm honestly suspicious of people who feel the need to post daily updates about how wonderful their lives are, the happiest people I know do not seem to have to shout it from the rooftops!

personally I just got fed up of reading the same rubbish day in day out by the same people in short if it's making you feel depressed and miserable then it's time to quit, yes at times you may feel like you are the last to find out about bigish events but then you have to question how much of a 'friend' you really are in the first place then

I now use Twitter and here to fill the void, swapping one addiction for another really ............

Exactly Victoria - swapped that for this. But this is anonymous so who cares, lol.

It's so weird how people sometimes lose their sense of social pleasantries on their Facebook and post things they would never say in real life. Like the poor girl I know with the problems - if she was crying in front of them they wouldn't be yelling at her to shut up - well hopefully!

because it was making me sad and everyone knew my business.