Why I Deleted My Facebook

I have always valued my privacy that I have security measures and “do not track” feature for my browser.

I’ve used Facebook to connect with family and friends as well as conduct business using their pages. However, with the recent security breach that was maliciously taken advantaged of by political parties which eventually shaped the world we’re seeing this year, I don’t see the value in using the platform anymore.

There is also a proven relation between the use of Facebook and our psychological health.

As the owner of tech-focused businesses, I’m aware of how to protect my privacy. It took me three days to delete apps who had access to my personal and even private profiles on my old Facebook account. When I created a new one, I still have to configure app connections to make sure I’m only allowing them to access what I want them to have. Unfortunately, the average joe won’t have time to filter all these in, let alone go back to the app centre and remove thousands of apps and games they have used before.

My parents and siblings are on Facebook, and I don’t think they’d allow the time to “protect their privacy” by undergoing all the hassle I went through just to get secured.

Mark Zuckerberg’s response was weak. The same as the platform’s slow progress over resolving “fake news,” which has also affected my home country, Philippines, their lack of aggressive push for regulating the content on their platform was disappointing. He said they would be releasing features that will help the average joe figure out the apps’ security access on their accounts on the top part of their profiles to supposedly make it easier for my retiree parents to track these things. But that’s not the point.

Users shouldn’t even have to worry about their data and their privacy in the first place. Our Facebook accounts are reflective of who we are. The accounts have our thoughts, photos and videos that we don’t want to show to the public. If corporations, or worse, manipulative political parties, have access to them when we thought we’d set them to “private”, then how else are we supposed to protect ourselves?

CONNECTIONS

Aside from trimming down my friends list from one thousand to about one hundred three years ago, I’ve also made it a point to make more authentic connections with the people I have in my life.

I’ve noticed that “likes” and “comments” can help me reach out to my families across different countries, but nothing is more rewarding than actually having them in an out of town retreat as we enjoy each other’s company.

For now, I will retain my Messenger account (FYI: Messenger.com can remain active even after deleting your profile. This only gives Facebook access to nothing but your chat history. You also don’t have to provide valuable personal information here unlike in the actual Facebook platform). The chat gives me a way to connect with my family and friends who are all over the place without having to spend a dime on texts and calls. I may (highly probable) find an alternative in the next few months. I can go back to the basic mobile phone (check out Light Phone 2) this year and still get that “social media outlet” and post on Instagram and Twitter.

I don’t think quitting Facebook will ruin my life (and I’m even thinking of the possibility of its long-term benefits for my businesses).

COMPARTMENTALISATION

I hope that, over the years, I have been better at compartmentalisation. I had to. Being a mother, a daughter, a writer, a business owner and just as a multi-faceted individual, compartmentalisation is my key to sanity. This is something that we’ve somewhat lost in the age of social media.

We use our profiles when applying for job interviews. You have your boss as a “friend” on Facebook. Our private lives are out there to share with everyone. Though there’s nothing wrong in doing that, I just learned that having a clear separation in who you are and what is presented for the whole world to see should somehow be significant.

Make time for real people, real connections in your life. Focus. Play when you have to play. Be silly when you want to. Work is for work. This is something we can apply to our social media lifestyle as well.

Ever since I’ve started Facebook and any other social media profiles, I’ve rarely used it to “gain likes.” Yes, the platform itself makes you inclined to encourage people to “like” the virtual you, but for me, it was a way to track my history. Where was I one year ago? What was I thinking? What did I plan to do? The app’s Memories feature was helpful in that way. With IG, I can still do that.

I’m not against Facebook at all. I don’t believe that in the massiveness of their reach, the billions of people subscribed, concerning the number of employees solving the urgent security issue, that they can deliver “on time.” At the same time, this is more than just about the company and the platform themselves. It’s a choice to make life more realistic and grounded that while I seek the advancement of technology in my field, I want to create a lifestyle that is kinetic, real and fulfilling.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Pat Villaceran is an eclectic social entrepreneur. She creates social enterprises that empower multi-fold impact on economy, society, and environment. She’s also passionate about equality, human rights and the plight of emerging markets.

Pat’s non-fiction publications focus on the introspection of the mind and how human beings are able to achieve the impossible. She surmises findings from scientific researches, extraordinary life examples into the life-changing philosophical ethos she writes in her books.

For more information on her upcoming and latest releases, follow Pat on her social media accounts.