Why I'm Breaking Up With Facebook

Yes, I am involved with social media just like millions of other individuals.  And yes, for the most part it is fun and entertaining.  However, lately, I've grown tired and a bit cynical of it; especially FaceBook.  The reason I ever entered the social media world was because whenever my daughter went off to college, she told me it would be a great way for us to keep in touch and that I might actually enjoy finding some of my long lost friends on there.  And I did.  I found family that lived afar and friends from high school and college.  She was right; it was fun.  That was in the early days of my relationship with FaceBook.

But then, FaceBook became somewhat ugly at times.  It was two-faced, with people seemingly  living  perfect lives suddenly turning up divorced by infidelity.  It was angry,  with people who shouted, "Free Speech" but only if I agreed with their opinions.  It was innocent adolescents who were tortured into suicide by their peers.  It had become a liar and hate monger with whom I had slowly become totally disenchanted.  It was time for us to break up.

To me, FaceBook was like a relationship gone bad.  It had not happened suddenly and I don't think it was one specific things that caused me to say, "Enough'!  It was the culmination of everything that began to look sad and angry and dirty.  Did I really want to bring this into my life every day?  But how to break up with something that had become such a habit?  I feared I would not stay connected with others.  How would I know what was going on in the world?!  And that's what social media does to you.  It's addictive.  You say you're going to break up but then you don't remove the app from your phone or i-pad.  It won't hurt to just peek in on things every now and then.  It's like that toxic relationship where you can't totally let go although you know it's not good for you.

And so I turned to Instagram.  On Instagram I don't find ugliness.  I don't find political crap.  I don't find hatefulness.  I do find lots of cute children and mom owned businesses and inspirational quotes.  It appears to be a more friendly environment.  And I don't feel angry or sad whenever I'm scrolling through the posts.  I'm happy with Instagram right now.  It fills my need to stay "connected".  I hope it stays that way.  Because I have found that I do not need to know what people are doing every moment of the day.  I know, I know...they put it out there.  But really, do I NEED to know it?  I've always sort of liked my privacy.  I've never been much of a gossiper and have often said, "If information has gotten around to me, that everyone else must already know it...because I'm the last one to find out everything."  FaceBook has caused me to put certain people up on a pedestal and then I am totally crushed whenever I find that they have fallen off of it.  I don't want to be like that.  I want to show love and kindness to all.  I want to realize that everyone is imperfect, however, FaceBook tends only to show the perception of perfection and that is a lie.

So, good-bye FaceBook.  You were lovely for a while but now you've got to go.  I'm sure I will miss you but I think my life will be better without you...