To delete Facebook?

[shalliorshallinot]

Any advice from those who have done it?
It really negatively affects my life.
If I see social photos and I haven’t been invited then I feel down for days.
If I check my profile and notice I’ve lost a couple of friends then I feel down.
I don’t post that much to be honest, as I figured if I wasn’t posting stuff and people deleted me then it wasn’t anything I’d said or done.
I suffer from anxiety.
I’ve posted 3 times in the past month, just a photo of the kids at an activity or the dog doing something funny etc.
Realised this week that an acquaintance I’ve known since I was 11 must have deleted me about a year ago, but kept 50 mutual friends, including my sisters. I can’t stop wondering why.
I’m just worried I’ll miss stuff, like announcements re the kids groups being cancelled, or the school class fb page where class announcements are put up.
Has anyone done the same, and how did you make sure you didn’t miss any vital info?

If it's causing you anxiety then yes, maybe you should delete it for a bit.

I like Facebook, mainly for the groups and pages I follow. I had a big cull a few years ago and deleted a load of people (mainly people who I added years ago who I'm not really friends with, people from school, old colleagues, etc). I then 'unfollowed' anyone who's posts annoying stuff, but don't want to unfriend. So now my feed is just full of things I'm interested in and posts from people I care about.

Yep but you have to make a big song and dance before you flounce off. Them be the rules.

I deleted mine over a week ago now, I suffer with anxiety and feel as though Facebook wasn’t helping at all.

Although I didn’t post much on there, I spent hours browsing throughout the day, and thought I’d really struggle without it. I’ve been absolutely fine, haven’t missed it at all.

I expect I’ll just browse on here more! I don’t do Instagram etc so Facebook was my only social media.
Think I am going to brave it!

A friend has gone through and changed the settings on each friend, so she doesnt see personal updates. She does use it for groups and pages that she follows for hobbies and kids things. How much do you use it for practical day to day stuff?

If you want an interim measure instead of setting up a new profile, why don't you:

• hide all the people/groups you're not interested in
• put people (all or some) on restricted profile, so you know they can't see what you post, so won't be liking/commenting

This way you should get posts from groups that you do need.

I do the hiding/restricted thing if people's posts make me feel miserable but don't want to delete them.

I left fb about two years ago, no regrets at all. I don’t miss out on anything as far as I know! I don’t have Instagram either but I am on Twitter, I only follow celebrities (nobody vacuous) and people I think are interesting.
Not using FB is good for my mental health, I would fall down rabbit holes of envy and comparison and looking up ex’s. Being able to do that kind of stuff isn’t good. Leave now, you’ll never look back

I've felt much the same to be honest. It was making my anxiety so much worse.
So I deactivated and haven't missed it at all. Actually started reading again which has helped a lot more!

I think there’s a way to suspend your account without deleting it. Why not try that as a tester?

I left Facebook years ago but have stayed on twitter. I find twitter good for information and following celebs. I don't miss Facebook, I am happier without it.

I had a huge mental health crisis last summer and deleted the app. I still have my account but I don't touch it. My mental health is so much better without it!

I wouldn't take being deleted so personally.

Lots of people regularly trim their friends lists. I have done it a few times, keeping only those I actively interact with. I find it unnerving having a hundred friends and I don't know whether or not they're looking at my posts.
My criteria is are they a good enough friend that I'd happily invite them to my house for dinner next week...

Suggest if you did this you would also feel more in control of it if you decide not to delete whole thing.!

I havent RTFT but i deleted it 2 years ago. I have a very small facebook now with just 3 friends and all the kids clubs on it. I love it. For social media i use instagram and just follow stuff i am in to and my close friends.

I don't get the angst you see here over FB. It's only social media at the end if the day. It's not compulsory. If snakes were causing me anxiety then I wouldn't go to the snake enclosure at the zoo. But it's almost like a badge of honour amongst some people here on MN to be smug about how much you don't do FB and are obviously superior to people who do.

I havent RTFT

Seriously? It’s only two pages long

I don’t want to restrict people.
I’ve done that before and been called out on it.
They’ve asked why they’re on a restricted profile where they can only see my profile and cover photos when they used to see other info.
It’s too bloody stressful!
Even on our class Facebook page when Facebook shows 5 comments, but only 4 are there for me to see then I worry that a parent has blocked me.
I’ve got no reason to feel this way, and I don’t think I’ve ever done/said anything to be deleted or blocked, but it really affects me more than it should!

I removed it from my phones and can only access it on the kitchen laptop now as I need it for the school group and all the stuff about what they néed to bring in etc. Deleted loads of people and now only check it once a week. It's a huge relief.

I went through my whole friend list abc blocked everyone, changed my name and kept the privacy settings so I could never be found. Kept the page with all the photos on and it meant I could carry on following the pages I like with the articles I enjoy reading. It was lovely to have one less outlet where people could contact me 24/7 (gives me major anxiety) and I didn’t have to look at any of the crap I didn’t care about. I can count on one hand how many people I actually want to know what’s going on in their lives on the regular, and we’re close enough to just text/call/see each other.

@Cardibach, This, that DanielRS said :

If by non-people you mean tons of "sponsored posts" and "similar to a post you interacted with", then yes definitely.

Considering the number of people I'm 'Facebook Friends' with, the number of posts I see from them is now making up a much smaller proportion of what I see.
Now, I realise some of them no longer use it, or post much more rarely than they used to, but still, the proportion of sponsored posts or "you might like this" type posts in relation to posts from my actual friends has really gone to pot over the last few months or so.

Back to OP - of course, if you are made anxious by something that is just a time filler / hobby, then don't do that hobby. However maybe it also makes sense to look at how you might address that anxiety, because that is not a healthy way to live a life.

I deleted it beginning of December, along with twitter, instagram and snapchat. I don’t miss it in the slightest

I like it and would really miss it. I find out about all sorts of local events and buy quite a lot for the children on it. I do often delete friends though, every few months. I delete people who never post/comment etc too, so if you don't use it much people (particularly those you don't know well anymore) may well delete you and it's not personal.

I deleted mine about 18 months ago now. I found it very invigorating, and I get so much more done!

I just told the school I no longer have it and asked them to send emails or letters with info. You won't be the only only without.

Do it, quality time with family and friends is finally just that!!

You won't miss it in the slightest.
I was an avid user for over 10 years (since the beginning!) and can honestly say that I didn't think about it after a few days.

I was wasting so much time on that website it was quite embarrassing. The first day after I deleted it I found myself opening my phone and going for the app without even thinking; it was almost as if I were brainwashed by it.
Especially scary was realising that it was the first thing I did in the morning and last thing before I went to sleep, plus when I woke up during the night.

Just try it temporarily (maybe for a week or so) - that's what I did and I didn't notice after the first 2 days. It didn't even occur to me when the week was over!

I do spend a lot more time on Mumsnet now though.

Get rid. I deleted social media around 5 years ago .... BEST THING EVER!!!!

I deleted facebook about 2 years ago. Went through a brief period where I nearly panicked-joined cause I feared I was "missing out", but took a step back and I'm so glad I got rid of that additional source of stress.