I am thinking about deactivating my facebook for the sake of my mental health...interested in your views?

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Its the only form of adult interaction I get (apart from work colleagues), which is quite sad actually. But...I really think it is bad for my mental health. I am under no illusion that the lives of people posting are 100% perfect but it kinda highlights how bloody lonely mine is.
Really would love to hear your views on facebook?

You did the right thing leaving FB.

I could never understand the Facebook love.

Yeah I can't be arsed with FB, Haven't been for years. I liked it when I was a teenager and the only other people I knew in there were teenagers or students. Then one day my aunties and older relatives turned up to post constantly about farmville and it got a bit dull, then came ads and businesses using it for social media marketing, even more dull, and then at some point I wasn't seeing my school and college friends I'd got in FB in rl as much, and my FB feed looked less and less like real life.

I love all your comments, can totally relate to it! I'm having a break from FB. Sick of extreme whingey political posts, constant hounding from effing Juice Plus/Younique/Forever Living cult members harrassing me with cheeky group additions, "event" invites (where birds with faces shaped like boiled eggs do live vids slapping on make up) and friend requests from complete strangers either trying to get you to join up to those pyramid type schemes, try to pull you or scam you. Yes it teally affects your mental health! Is it me or is it all so basic?? And those bloody snapchat filters that people use to add animal features/flowers that look like swimming caps to their heads.......the list goes on. It's great to keep in touch with friends miles away and arrange to meet up on there, otherwise it's all pretty childish

The only thing stopping me leaving is my photos!

do it. my mh was better without facebook. have created a new account recently because i want to make friends at uni and its easier with fb. but do it do it. you will feel much better.

I had wondered about doing this recently, I do get a lot from fb, but I realised some aspects weren't doing my MH good at all, I've left groups and unfollowed particular posters, starting to feel better for it, I do wonder about going completely cold turkey for a bit...

Cold turkey is very apt....isn't it like trying to release yourself from an addiction??!

I've had times where I've deactivated my Facebook for a few months at a time. It's definitely meant I don't waste as much time compared to when I did have it.

The only reason I use it now is to keep up to date with events in my area. I deleted/unfollowed the 'toxic' people on my feed - so those that I either dislike or who I find attention seeking and only follow those with similar interests. Some family members were simply unfollowed and I may search for them every so often, like the recent photo etc ( this is done to prevent a full out family war).but I get the added benefit of not having to deal with their toxic behaviour.

I tend to find a lot of the baby groups I go to have a Facebook page as opposed to websites, so for me it's so much easier for me to keep a basic profile for this reason. Most don't bother with emails either, so a fb message often works. Same goes for finding workmen etc for small jobs.

I also like to keep up to date with news etc. And find it's sometimes easier to access news and breaking events via Facebook compared to actual news sites. I also follow various things im interested in which keeps me in my happy place :)

I can never understand posts saying "Facebook is dreadful" etc. It's just a tool and you get what you want out of it. My feed is not filled with annoying posts about juice plus or annoying friends' extreme political updates because I manage my settings. If someone irritates me too much I unfollow (or unfriend them), it's really not hard. Now my feed is full of updates from animal sanctuaries and science pages and it's brilliant. Just use it how you want, there's no need to put up with BS posts or go as far as deactivating.

I deleted mine 4 years ago, it was the best thing I ever did, I do not miss it one bit! It causes so many problems.

FB I s a useful tool for me.
I have close friends on that allows me to se their posts.
I have acquaintances on but they are restricted and I control who sees my posts.

My big love for fb is the different pages I have that are part of my interests. I have the pages for music venues I go to, mountain bike pages, fell walking pages and the training bodies I use as well as the sports teams that I follow.
These keep me up to date with what's happening so that I d not miss an event.

Sometimes people post boring stuff so I just scroll on. If anyone posts anything that I'm not impressed with I either delete them or restrict them.
I make fb work for me and not let it rule and control me.

I was being added to groups bu friends without my consent, then their friends were ambushing me with Juice Plus, make up vendors etc rubbish from all angles. They were relentless! The political posts were on even the sweetest posts by others, people can turn around anything lovely to such bitterness. I had to deactivate for a bit otherwise I'd have spent my days telling so many freaks to get stuffed! It's great for social reasons if people arrange to meet-my experience is people get lazy and rely on FB to keep in touch and can't be bothered to meet up. It all seems very childish and disingenuous so having a break definitely does you good in my opinion 👍

I deactivated a while back and signed back up, now thinking of deactivating again, a couple of groups of different friends went out for a night out, I didn't get an invite, and whilst I know I'm not in any way owed an invite, it hurts a bit that I wasn't included, I dont need to feel that way, without social media I would have been none the wiser.

I had one years back but closed it quite quickly. The stalkery aspect made me uncomfortable even then. Every time I read of yet more fuckwittery on it I'm glad I did.

I feel much better without it.

Do it! I did it a few years ago and I honestly think it's the best thing I ever did. I have no interest in anyone else's lives apart from my RL friends. I'm not interested in seeing random people's holidays pictures, or finding out who my primary school friend went on a night out with. I think social media has its benefits but is also a huge hinderance for me in life; I am much happier being social media free.

I think from reading all of these comments. I have done the right thing (for me) I have Instagram and have kept messenger :)

I'm not far off deleting mine tbh, it's only the fact that I've got distant relatives on there that I probably wouldn't keep in touch with in other ways that keeps me. I'm so so sick of seeing lost dogs, cruelty to animals, epic rants from people who are old enough to know better so I use it less and less frequently.

Well done OP.. It was the best thing I did I still have messenger for keeping in touch and instagram for photography. It's been a few years now and it's lovely to actually message people I want to keep in touch with rather than rely on facebook. I feel free of all the comparison, boasting, quizzes, spam, pointless bullshit. I feel content with my little life again.

Deleted mine two years ago. Don't miss it all. I just come on here now and to be honest the advice or comments off strangers on here is better and more honest. Lovely Mumsnet . Xx mwah

Really interesting reading these. I don't have the envy thing but I did find it a massive time drain. So I deleted the app and now I only go on it occasionally. Had unfollowed some annoying family members and like a pp said only pop into their pages every 6 months or so to like a photo to prevent any offence!
Found myself knowing far too much about random old frjends' lives. such a waste of time!

I do now spend double the amount of time on MN though but honestly get so much more out of it!

Yes I'm new to MN, hoping to be an "older mum" soon, joined yesterday and it's heartening to get in touch with so many like minded people.

Yes defo do it! I deactivated mine to spend more time with my family I seriously didn't realise how much time I spent on it. Don't get me wrong I mostly posted photos of my girls & a lot of people enjoyed seeing them but I didn't realise how obsessed I was at reading at what everyone was up to.
My OH also deactivated his & we have never been happier. I came away from all social media & just downloaded the Mumsnet app instead & now I have more time for my family & a clearer attention span for my family. So much better. Even if you take time out for a bit & see how you go. Just think of it as a little holiday for yourself & your mind. Go find yourself, read a book, try a new hobby etc have fun! Good luck! xx

I just wanted to pop back and say thankyou for all your comments. It really helped reading what others thought. I know its early days but I feel better already :)