Breaking Free from Facebook

I imagine I’m not alone when I say the decision to break free from Facebook has been a struggle. For me, quitting has been an effort long considered but never acted upon. More and more, I find that Facebook user experience, operation, and leadership are incompatible with my beliefs. Leaving comes at a high cost, but if you share this desire, perhaps my story will help. It’s time to quit Facebook.

Recent life changes have me looking to stop time-wasting activities. When I take a moment to reflect on daily time sinks, Facebook ranks highly as one of the least productive and most used. So it should be pretty straightforward, but I’m struggling.

I find the platform addicting in the most literal sense, and some brief research shows that I’m not alone. It grabs my attention for moments when I should be focused, and for what? I don’t feel good after browsing the platform. More often than not, I leave disappointed. Dialogue is rarely mature, and every meaningful conversation seems to spiral out of control quickly.

Facebook is an attention merchant, their platform a habit builder. It molds perceptions and actions with each visit and I’ve been engaging with it for too long. Even as I write this, I casually open up a new tab to login, only to relive the same unfulfilling experience over and over again.