Ev BogueI was just reading an article somewhere about new changes coming to Facebook. It basically said the following: Facebook wants to be more like Google+ and many users visit Facebook out of a sense of obligation.
I left Facebook nearly a year ago. It seems so distant to me, so abstract.
Here's the thing about Facebook: when you're out, you're out. There is no way for me to get in once I left. Facebook is a gated community of content, and when I was a part of it, I knew this. I knew that whenever I uploaded a picture, I signed the rights away to Facebook. I knew that if I ever choose to untether, I'd have to leave all of my posts behind, because there was no way to export them.
Why I untethered from Facebook
It's hard for me to remember why I untethered from Facebook, nearly a year ago. But I'll do my best to try.
I'd been using the Facebook App on my iPhone and it kept on notifying me every time someone 'Liked' something of mine on Facebook. The problem was, this was the same notification for direct messages that I'd received.
Whether I received an personal message, or a Like, it didn't matter, Facebook wanted to bring me back into the program. Why? The only answer I could find was that Facebook wanted me back on their system to show me more advertisements.
When I realized this, I felt frustrated and angry. I was being manipulated dozens of times a day into pulling up a program just to see that someone had 'Liked' my stuff. Who cares? I didn't.
Then I began to notice a second thing that Facebook was doing. Whenever I was drawn into the program, it showed me what an old friend was doing in a far off place. I was living in San Francisco at the time, so many of my old friends were in New York. Now, suddenly I was immersed in what my old friends were doing. Were they getting engaged? Who's pregnant now? Who broke up with who? All of these things Facebook wanted me to know. All of these Things were taking my attention away from my work, into the vortex.
In other words, I was having trouble both being present in my own life in San Francisco and simultaneously able to use Facebook productively to grow my business.
So, I deleted my account.
My experience trying to leave
Have you ever tried to delete your account on Facebook? This is what it did for me. It pulled up photos of the closest 6-8 women in my life (ones I'd presumably clicked on more times than others), and essentially asked: "won't you miss them?" Yes, of course I'd miss them. But shouldn't I miss them already? I'm only seeing them via a web program for fraks sake!
I felt even more manipulated (and thus angry) by Facebook when it told me this. I hit the delete button, and never looked back.
Now, it's nearly a year later -- Facebook feels so far away. It seems so unnecessary for my life to continue. People tell me that they're 'growing their businesses' on Facebook still. I wonder, really? are you sure? How are you measuring that?
How to untether from Facebook (once and for all)
Appreciate Facebook for what it gave you in the past. In college, I really appreciated Facebook, because it allowed me to see my friends in real life more often. I'd often message my friends on campus and say: what are you doing tonight? And then they'd say: "we're going to a show, do you want to come?!" and I'd say "hell yes!" I appreciate that Facebook worked that way for me in college. Does it work that way anymore? No. So, I untethered.
Go to the account deletion page and do everything it tells you to. Cover your eyes during the 'please don't leave!' manipulation screen.
Breathe a sigh of relief. Now you're free. You can now be present in your real life again. Congratulations.