[LilyMop]

I’ve been thinking about closing down my Facebook and other social media. I definitely want to keep PC and a couple of other sites.

I spend too much time flipping through everybody’s happy family and friends posts on Facebook, feeling bad that my life is a mess. I don’t post much on there anymore and people question me about things. It seems easier to just shut it down.

Some people have told me they felt much better when they closed Facebook and it also freed up some of their time.

I see both sides of the social media debate, it definitely has benefits and drawbacks and I respect both opinions on that.

I’m wondering for me personally would I feel better if I just shut it down and focus on more meaningful interactions with others?

Or am I just running way from my sad feelings? Social media is not going away and it’s the way people connect these days.

What are your thoughts?

[CANDC]

Well the positive part of Facebook can be keeping in touch with friends and family.

The negative side is it can be something that lowers our self esteem if we compare to others. I find a minimal approach where I have a designated time to be on there is good for me.

The problem with shutting down is you may lose content.

The plus side of shutting down is you can start over and make your account private and carefully select the friends that really are your friends.

@CANDC

[Discombobulated]

I deactivated my Facebook account a while ago. It really was getting to me in the way you describe, far from feeling connected I was feeling disconnected by it.

How about you deactivate a while and see how you go? Deactivating freezes everything so it's exactly as you left it.

When I reactivated it I felt a better sense of perspective somehow and the overwhelming feeling was no longer there. I think I'll keep it as a contact directory but not look at it as much.

[~Christina]

I personally enjoy Social media. I love scrolling Facebook and seeing all the memes and peoples pics etc.

Facebook has connected me to so many friends from my high school days , old co workers and relatives across the country and friends in Canada and Cape Town South Africa and more.

I’m not upset when people post happy pictures from vacation or a trip to a park etc because I know they likely took 30 pictures to find one that they actually like enough to post lol Even when depressed I love seeing people happy because I know I’ll feel like that again.

If social media is distressing them by all means close your accounts or just do not use them.

[Anonymous42019]

Hey @LilyMop I suggest instead of closing your social media accounts, that you make them private and only invite those you trust to join you. Facebook helps families and friends connect, especially from afar. In the meantime as another member wisely suggested you deactivate your account until deciding later.

[bpcyclist]

Never belonged to facebook or instagram or any of them. I have only belonged to three sort of social media sites--this, a biking one, and a headphone one. I just ditched the headphone one because the owner of the site censored one of my posts. It was asking members about their views on safety of wireless in-ear headphones. He was afraid (I believe) that it might anger some of his advertisers. He's right. It would have. Anyway, I have tens and tens of thousands of posts there and I just deleted my profile and signature, changed my byline to, The first amendment is the best amendment, changed my avatar to a burning black hole, and was done. Poof!

The biking one is unfortunately mostly men and there is just way too much testosterone. People constantly slamming other members, trying to humiliate them and make them appear clueless. It's just ridiculous and I may shut it down as well. Bunch of 6th graders. And I have no intention of ever returning to 6th grade.

PC is great because there is a level of decorum and sensitivity here that is quite refreshing. I just love PC.

As for all the others, you can have them. I realize I am in the minority here, but I believe "traditional" social media is doing a lot of harm to a lot of people. In the long run, I'm just not convinced it is necessarily such a great thing after all--unless your last name is Zuckerberg.

[LilyMop]

I read your responses carefully and all of you are correct. Yes, I do believe social media is having a negative affect on people. Yet it’s the main way to stay in contact with people these days.

I realized that I was on ten different social media sites, including PC. Wow! That’s too much. I shut down half of them and I made the rest more private.

[LilyMop]

Originally Posted by CANDC

Well the positive part of Facebook can be keeping in touch with friends and family.


The negative side is it can be something that lowers our self esteem if we compare to others. I find a minimal approach where I have a designated time to be on there is good for me.


The problem with shutting down is you may lose content.


The plus side of shutting down is you can start over and make your account private and carefully select the friends that really are your friends.

@CANDC

Thank you for your thoughtful response to my question. The key is not comparing myself to others. That can happen with or without Facebook right?

[LilyMop]

Originally Posted by Discombobulated

I deactivated my Facebook account a while ago. It really was getting to me in the way you describe, far from feeling connected I was feeling disconnected by it.


How about you deactivate a while and see how you go? Deactivating freezes everything so it's exactly as you left it.


When I reactivated it I felt a better sense of perspective somehow and the overwhelming feeling was no longer there. I think I'll keep it as a contact directory but not look at it as much.

Yes! I have been feeling more disconnected than connected. I will try to start using it as a contact directory versus daily news and entertainment. It can be distressing when we are going through hard times.

[LilyMop]

Originally Posted by ~Christina

Even when depressed I love seeing people happy because I know I’ll feel like that again:

I love this. I will try to look at it this way.

[Thunder Bow]

Shut it down, or just limit your use of FB. Never compare yourself to others.

[happysobercrafter]

@LilyMop

Hey, honeybunny!!!

I am on social media, plus I am a gamer. I have over 2000 friends on my FB. Most of them are gaming friends. One cool thing is that they are from all over the globe. The downside is where one benefit comes in. I "unfollow" most of them, LOL I can go through my closest friends posting and keep up with what is going on with them and vice versa since I post funny picture on there as I do here.

I am on Twitter, Instagram, and another I can't remember the name of but I rarely use those. I am Pinterest and I use that a lot.

What do you think? What is working for you?

[LilyMop]

@HappyCrafter

It sounds like you have a good method of keeping social media positive and connected with the right people. Its a good way to manage it I think.

[LilyMop]

Never mind....