Why I Left Facebook & Twitter
Early in January I executed one of my New Year’s Resolutions; leaving Facebook and Twitter. I’d been on Facebook since 2008 ~ an early adopter as compared to the masses in the 2010’s and beyond. As for Twitter, I never got into that platform until the 2016 election cycle. …and that’s where my distaste for these two platforms began.
The rhetoric, the memes, the hyperbole, the blatant lies all played a part in my decision to throw my middle finger into the air at both sites. I wholeheartedly loathe both of them. Not that I didn’t think there wasn’t an opportunity for healthy discussion in social media, but true intellectual engagement never existed. Having an opinion is one thing, (you know the expression…), but if it is not an educated opinion, it is worthless. Feelings don’t trump facts.
I’ve made it through the 21 day abstinence period, so if I had a propensity for an addiction I have safely exited that time frame; thankfully. What do I miss about Facebook?
1. Keeping up with people that don’t get to interact with frequently.
2. Seeing the children/family of long-time friends.
3. Birthday reminders (thankful they synced with my calendar) and the ease of sending birthday wishes.
4. Event invites. You might as well have fallen off the Earth!
5. A place to be a smart-ass. I did have a lot of fun being silly and not having that outlet is a lot less fun.
What I don’t miss? 1. The bullshit. That sums it up!
IMHO, Twitter can crash and burn. With 45 blowing that site up hourly, I don’t want to have anything to do with it. Hate-filled speech seems to be no violation of any policy. Anything goes in Twitterland; porn, harassment, sexism, misogyny, etc…
Where to now? Happier places. Pinterest for fun and curious things I like. Instagram to see what my friends are up to and post my life happenings. It’s really been alright after saying goodbye. However, it has also certainly been quite different without those two social media outlets in my life. I know I’m not the only one who is ‘over’ these two platforms. They wreaked havoc on our democratic process and directly aided a foreign government in meddling on our 2016 election, that’s unforgivable.
4 months later…..
Why I came back. Since I wasn’t on fb, some party invites never found their way to me. Seems like facebook events are the go to means of party planning. So I am back on the platform because I have FOMO. I plan not to engage in it too deeply though…