Last Friday, I deactivated my Facebook account. I may still permanently delete it. September 2012 was the previous time that I deactivated my Facebook account which was well before my May 2013 burnout. This time, the reasons are different but not too much. Facebook has become an addictive habit which is otherwise known as FOMO – the fear of missing out (my 2016 blog).
By the end of July 2014, I reactivated my Facebook account in order to promote my daily blogs on my Google Blogger account. Initially, most traffic to my blog was a redirect from my Facebook account. Nowadays, redirects from Facebook are minimal. The main reason for reactivating my Facebook account no longer exists.
For some time, I’ve been wondering what to do with my Facebook account. I already minimized the volume of my personal information. It has also become rare for me to post anything personal. Most of my Facebook friends are actually acquaintances and/or former colleagues. The volume of messages between them and me has become minimal. I prefer talking or texting.
Many months ago, I already deleted the Facebook app because it is a drain on your (iPad & iPhone) battery. Later, I also deleted the Facebook Messenger app as I was annoyed by its persistent use of my iPhone contacts to suggest new Messenger contacts. The absence of notifications from both Facebook and Messenger is quite soothing.
For the past several months, Facebook requested me 2 or 3 times to complete an online questionnaire about my rating of their services. My ratings made me wonder why I was still using Facebook. Facebook had become a habit, and an addictive one as well. Both the absence and the presence of messages and postings annoyed me.
I stress the above (micro) picture as it’s too easy for me to blame Facebook for the Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential elections. Based on proportional representation, the 45th president should have been a woman. She lost the 2016 elections due to her disregard for the importance of small states in the Electoral College. The statistical anomalies (eg, CNN, WP) in the election outcome of these small states, still need conclusive evidence to prove election fraud.
Several years ago, Facebook was part of a positive news cycle. Back then, I never saw Facebook as the friendly giant which the media made suggested. The tides have turned. For many months, any Facebook news item is negative. According to the media, Facebook is now evil Big Tech. The power of any message always lies in its continued repeating.
The added value of social media in our lives is often debatable. Still, LinkedIn has a clear added value to our life: job opportunities. However, my question was and is: what value – if any – does Facebook add to our lives?? Perhaps that question should be their biggest worry.
New Kid in Town (1976) by The Eagles
artists, lyrics, video, Wiki-1, Wiki-2
There’s talk on the street
It’s there to remind you
It doesn’t really matter which side you’re on
You’re walking away
And they’re talking behind you
They will never forget you ’til somebody new comes along
Note: all bold and italic markings by LO unless stated otherwise
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