Life After Facebook

September 18, 2009

Recently I decided it was time to pull the plug on my Facebook account. It was not the first time, but I have determined it will be the last.

To me, the downsides to participating in such a forum by far outweigh the supposed benefits.

I could go over dozens of reasons why my life without Facebook is much better, while only being able to give two or three examples of the usefulness of the website.

But I won't bore you too much with either side of the argument. All I have to say is I am a much happier person with Facebook out of my life. Aside from not really being social at all, it has the potential to harm relationships and friendships more than it supports them.

The response on the other side might go something like this: "But you getting out of Facebook harms the relationship you had with all of your 2000 friends!" Okay, I didn't have 2000; regardless, this is a horrible argument. Maybe it WILL harm my relationship with them when I say if our relationship's existence depends on Facebook friendship, then we probably didn't have a relationship that is worth maintaining in the first place. If such is the case, everyone will just continue on anyway. I guarantee you that 90% of my Facebook friends will never, ever, even notice that I deactivated.

If Facebook encourages people to shower attention on themselves, and somehow gives people the comfort that if they are insulting and belittling to others, it's okay because it's on Facebook, then what kind of friendship is really happening?

I know I am probably a small minority, but I have chosen to not have any part of it. And the freedom is sublime. Don't miss me (I'm sure you don't), Facebook friends! I will probably do likewise. Life can still continue blissfully, even after Facebook.

Thank you to all the excellent anti-Facebook articles which helped me come to this extremely wonderful position. Maybe someday I will go on an anti-Facebook crusade and post some of them. But for now, I will just continue living my life like I did before Facebook was even an Internet site. Life was still pretty good back then.