Four Reasons to Take a Break from Facebook

By Giuliana Grossi on May 11, 2014

Social networking has become so prevalent that it’s now second nature to anyone who owns an electronic device. You can virtually access Facebook from anything with the ability to connect to WiFi. It’s common to see a Facebook or Twitter trademark on the milk carton in your fridge or on the fast food commercial on TV. Facebook has all but become a necessity to our social lives. So, why have I decided to deactivate mine?

Photo via http://media.npr.org

 

Waste of Time

Anyone with a Facebook knows that when you sign on to check your messages it can easily turn into three hours of browsing your friends’ pictures and posts, or worse, you end up on profile pages of people you barely even know. Not to mention the countless games that are designed to get you hooked. Facebook is filled with alluring ways to help you procrastinate all night, especially when you have a paper to write.

Distractions

When I did have a Facebook, I didn’t like having it on my cell phone. My phone was constantly buzzing with notifications and news from Facebook in addition to the text messages, phone calls and emails I received throughout the day. It’s not uncommon to see a group of friends hanging out together with their fingers glued to their phones. By having Facebook at your fingertips you invite even more distraction from your studies and your time with friends than texting does.

UnrealisticĀ 

Your personal Facebook profile is designed by you; your friends’ profiles are designed by them. You wouldn’t post pictures or statuses that would cast you in a bad light would you? No one would. So when you’re spending three hours procrastinating before writing your paper you’re looking at the best parts of everyone else’s life. The girl in your class that always gets on your nerves isn’t going to post about the exam she failed, but she might post about getting an A on the same paper you got a C on. Facebook promotes comparison to others, but it does so inaccurately.

Anxiety

Before Facebook, if you got in an argument with a friend that argument only continued when you saw them or talked to them on the phone. Gossip didn’t spread nearly as fast as it does with social media, so it stayed more or less your business. With Facebook you can’t escape the gossip. It follows you home, out to lunch, to the library, basically anywhere you bring your phone or laptop. You might see a passive aggressive status posted that you’re sure is about you and that can ruin the rest of your day without accomplishing anything. It can also be worrisome when you get a notification that you were tagged in photos. You quickly click on the notification to take them down if they are unflattering or incriminating. You don’t want your future employers seeing that!

Facebook isn’t completely evil. I agree that there are many benefits to having a Facebook. It can help you keep in contact with people who you wouldn’t otherwise stay in contact with, you can make connections for your job, you can share pictures etc. But another great thing about Facebook is that you can deactivate your account for as long or as little as you’d like. When you decide to get back on all you have to do is log in and everything is just the way you left it.

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