Deleting Facebook

Interesting how some topics can just keep coming up. I keep finding myself talking with several different people, at different times, about Facebook and especially my decision in deleting it a few months ago. So I am going to put down why exactly I deleted it, and why other people should too.

1. Facebook dehumanizes people. I found myself judging people for annoying posts, or weird pictures. I would make assumptions based on their wall posts or what other people had tagged them in. And it goes the other way too. I think some people used Facebook as a tool to get to know me. Are we really being reduced to this?? Seriously people. We are people. Humans. Flesh and bone. Beating heart. Lungs. Voices. Thoughts. Blood. Laughter. Smiles. We are not a popular status. We are not a funny video somebody posts of us. We are not a profile (or a Timeline). We are not defined by how many people 'like' our status or by how many new friends we get in a month.

2. Facebook is not very personal. Call me old fashioned, but I like having conversations with people where I can hear their voice, see their smile, look into their eyes, laugh with them, cry with them, etc. After all, about 93% of communication is nonverbal. But Facebook can't portray the nonverbal things. Facebook is too forced and planned. Instead of just talking and reacting with the flow of the conversation, people can plan their posts or in their conversations, go back and delete words, make themselves 'sound' witty, smart, funny, sensitive whatever. With Facebook, all you get is the words (the very carefully planned words) that you read on a status or a post or a comment and not only do you read it, but many more can too.
Now, I realize that right now I am writing a blog and communicating with people online, which people could argue is similar to Facebook. I have four followers on my blog right now, I don't post statuses about every time I go to the gym or why I'm upset about homework. I write only meaningful things. If you stop and think about it, I don't think Facebook is very meaningful. Not what it's become anyway. Just go and read everyone's status or look at the pictures they post. What is the meaning in it?

3. People say things on Facebook they wouldn't say in real life. A few months ago I had a guy that liked me that decided to friend me on Facebook and start chatting to me. It was kind of awkward, I mean, when people talk to me I can't help but talk back because I try to be nice. But I was like, dude, stop talking to me. Only I didn't say that. He kept chatting with me on Facebook, but the interesting thing is, he never really talked to me whenever I saw him anywhere else on campus. It's like he wasn't brave enough to come talk to me but he could talk to me on Facebook because he wasn't actually talking to my face. Ok. That's gotta stop. (And I made that stop....it was about the same time I deleted my Facebook). But come on, people, why would you ever write something to someone that you wouldn't be able to say to their face? If a guy ever wants to get to know me he can come and talk to me in person. If he's not brave enough then that's fine. I'll never know about it and then someday there'll be someone else who actually will come and talk to me and someday fall in love with me. Not to sound all cheesy, but I don't understand people that try developing relationships over the internet like that.

4. Facebook is a tool for stalking. This is one of those things people think is a good thing. I'll admit, sometimes I do miss having an account so I can go check out the pictures my sister puts up of her daughter or to read the posts my friends in different states (or countries) write. But when Facebook is used for straight up stalking (let's stalk his ex-girlfriend's brother's wife's cousin) that's just creepy!! Who knows who could be stalking you at any given time! And again...that's not the way to get to know them since we can't just reduce people to a page. I think our days could be better spent hiking on a mountain trail, baking cookies, chasing butterflies, jumping off cliffs, playing the piano, or sleeping!! Not stalking people. We're not spies. We don't need to pretend to be.

5. Facebook is taking over everything. It freaks me out how many things there are that ask me to sign up with Facebook or read an article through Facebook or to share a video through Facebook. Why is everything revolving around Facebook??

6. Facebook isn't what it used to be. Facebook was originally a thing for college students to stay in touch and make friends. Why doesn't it kind of disturb anyone that people from ages really young to really old are now using Facebook? My parents have Facebook! Eighty year olds have Facebook! I think it's weird and kind of makes Facebook not as 'cool' anymore. And I don't know about you, but I don't want to be stalked by my friends' parents online.

7. Facebook keeps changing. Ok, this really isn't part of my argument because some people love change (I keep changing my blog design at the beginning of each month) but I just never liked how Facebook completely changed everything for everybody and we all just had to deal with it.

8. Facebook is addicting. I can say this because I had Facebook for almost four years and I just had to check Facebook before I could work on my paper or check my email. And when I was bored or trying to kill time, I would check Facebook. If I went a week where I could not check Facebook, I really missed it and I felt like I was neglecting my friends. Ugh I can't believe my past self. The addiction to Facebook is disturbing. There's better things to do with our time.

9. It's impossible to get rid of Facebook completely. For months after I deactivated my Facebook account, my Pinterest account kept having me follow people that I had been friends with on Facebook. I did not understand how that was happening since I deactivated my account! It turns out I had the 'Connect with Facebook' button checked on my Pinterest, and so it still knew who all my Facebook friends were. Talk about creepy. At some point in the near future I need to actually completely delete my account. And I'm not sure how to do that. I think it's very difficult. I also think it requires that I log on again, which I really don't want to do, but no doubt they require that so they can try to convince you to not delete it. So in the meantime, it's just deactivated (and the Facebook owners can still access all my information which freaks me out). Am I the only one creeped out by this?

10. Facebook messes up our priorities. I think I used to be on Facebook more than I would read the Bible. Um I don't think I have to go into much detail about how much of a problem this is. But I don't think it was just me with the problem. I think it's almost 100% of the people that have Facebook. And not having Facebook has helped me focus more on homework. I log on my computer, spend five minutes checking my emails and then I'm good for several hours and I can do some homework! It's such a relief to not have it. After all, it was very addicting (see #8).

There are ten reasons why I deleted my Facebook and why I think other people should consider it too. I had Facebook for four years so I really do know what it is like and, more importantly, I know what it's like to not have it after such a long time! It's so great and I can honestly say that deleting my Facebook account was one of the best decisions I've made in a long time.