There have been a lot of studies out there that show how dangerous Facebook can be to the human psyche. It can create an altered sense of reality, it can create serious narcissism, it can enhance underlying depressive behaviors, and it can feel like everyone else has this amazing life that you don’t have — when the reality is most folks are just selectively posting the good and hiding the bad.
I deactivated my account for a few different reasons. I’ll either create a new account at some point or reactivate the other one. I will need to create a small business page, so either way, I can’t walk totally away from Facebook.
1. Major time sucker. Time is precious, and the natural multitasking abilities that people possess can unfortunately suck time away from things that do matter, like that email you should be returning to someone, or that school paper someone’s been procrastinating about. If you start talking to someone or “getting into it” with someone, even more time goes away, because you start checking for responses. If you get REALLY agitated by something, it might even keep you up at night. That’s a waste of precious sleep!
2. Everything becomes linked and tracked. I deleted my 900-track Spotify playlist because it was linked to my Facebook account. It broadcasts everything you’re listening to to your social network, and you can only temporarily shut it off. I’ve discovered some of the church ladies I know have a fondness for down-and-dirty gangsta rap, complete with the explicit lyrics. Seriously. 🙂
3. Your “likes” can sabotage you, your reputation, or business. Everyone can see your Facebook “likes.” Your future employers can interpret that you’re slumming it, how you waste your time with games, or what kind of savory activities you engage in. I do professional photography — anytime I “like” a page with Photoshop actions, templates, etc. that enhance photographs, the competition can see exactly what you’re using and how to get it. If you were a famous cook with an amazing restaurant, would you be liking all of the secret ingredients in your famous recipes for the world to see? I can figure out what a friend’s political stance is, how they feel on certain issues, what their religious beliefs are, how they raise their kids, etc. just by looking at their “likes” and not even talking to them.
4. The past blends with the present, whether you like it or not. People you don’t necessarily want to talk to can friend you. Even if you don’t friend them, it’s violating to know how easily you can be tracked. Do you really need to know what your ex, former friend, or former coworker is doing these days? Well, when you have mutual friends or interests, surrrrpriiiise! It’s like staring at a train wreck — you know you should leave the past in the past, but now it’s in front of your face, ready to open up a Pandora’s Box of old memories that aren’t necessarily awesome ones.
5. You can’t literally be friends with a couple of hundred people. I have between 290 – 310 people on my friend’s list. There’s no way you can physically keep track of all those folks. There’s no way they can all physically keep up with you, either. So many times, I’ve posted something really benign and then facepalmed myself, thinking “Oh dear, so-and-so shouldn’t have seen that. Oh dear, so-and-so probably thinks I’m referring to them. Oh no, I’m going to offend so-and-so.” I’ve also friended people in the hopes of getting to know them better offline and network with them, and it never happens — they just want you as a warm body to read their advertising or to size you up as competition. People will also creep on your page, have no interest in talking to you, then strike out when they feel “offended,” or can tell you play-by-play everything that you’ve posted for the past two months. Creepy.
6. Major life events become trivialities. My mother died on October 16th, 2012 of very aggressive Stage 4 cancer. It took her in literally 2 months. She was very dignified about it, and never told anyone that she was sick until her very last breath. As a result, when she died, I had a tidal wave of outrage that “I didn’t tell anyone” and that “Why didn’t she tell anyone…I was always on Facebook and she never said anything!” Additionally, I had people come up to me a week or two later and say “Yeah, I know your mother died, but it just felt too awkward to say anything to you on Facebook.” We have phone, text, email, face-to-face contact, etc. Is it now inappropriate to express condolences or feelings outside of social media, once you become friends with someone? That’s something to think about.
7. Drama, drama…DRAMA. The straw that’s really broken the camel’s back in my case is the drama. People will literally start it over anything. I’ve had people pick arguments with me over a brand of over-the-counter digestive supplements. Yes, seriously. I have had people “tell me how it is” where there was nothing to say. People will offer their opinions/experiences, even though at no point did you ask for their opinion or for their experience with the same matters. The anonymity of the internet is not always a good thing.
I woke up this morning and my phone wasn’t buzzing, bleeping, or blooping at me. I didn’t feel any major urge to check up on social networking. I’m rather liking this “deactivation” thing. I feel calm knowing that nothing is going on, being said, or being observed. I don’t have to see 50 posts “like this post if you don’t want your grandmother to die, ignore if you want her to die in the seventh circle of hell in a vat of molten caramel.” It’s a nice refreshing feeling.
Now, on to some serious business today! 🙂
There were tons of my favorite chickens, the Barred Rock. I love this one’s “I’m so smug, I’m a fat chicken” look. 🙂 I’ve never seen a Barred Rock Rooster before…those have to be some of the hugest I’ve ever seen!
Peace. Love. Birdies. 