As much as I’d like to erase all of my digital footprint, my work unfortunately depends on it, and I dare say I’m pretty good at it.
Need tips on how to be a featured user on Instagram – this might be dated with the ever changing algorithm, but you might like to try it out.
I was working on trial and error strategies to better advise clients on running their social channels and continue to do so, to keep them up to date.
I am two minds about the advent of the internet, and I think the dilemma and dichotomy will always exist.
So here’s why I decided to deactivate my personal Facebook account recently. So, don’t panic I didn’t block everyone, I’m just not on Facebook on my personal account anymore!
It’s funny to even have to write this post to validate everyone’s feelings and my virtual friendships. Relationships were so much more meaningful pre-Facebook without all the self validation and glorification through perfect posts. ;)
- Less Drama, More Meaningful Relationships
I was culling “friends” on Facebook as part of my exercise to live a leaner more meaningful life. If you didn’t know, Facebook actually makes recommendations for who to unfriend – people you never interact with but are on your FB and it’s in chronological order.
This whole “unfriend” business has a lot of political and social implications that come with a rageful childish madness that is incomprehensible and I have experienced one too many times.
I’ve had people delete me for no reason and I’ve also been blocked, but I didn’t bother to pursue the reason why because there are more important things in life to worry about.
Everyone is fighting their own battles, it’s not my place to be confrontational and create unnecessary drama. With real friends for life – Facebook or not, it doesn’t matter.
I am too, guilty of the childish hypocrisy of culling people in the first place, but in recent months, I’ve been focused on putting my sanity first.
I’ve had to deal with the lunacy of one too many dramas. I don’t know if it’s because I live in Macao that isn’t the real world and everything is amplified, magnified and then it’s a vicious merry-go-round.
I’ve made it a new goal to focus on more meaningful relationships offline and in touch via various means with all my friends on the other side of the world.
Facebook is a farce and a place for petty discontent to fester and breed in ways so passive aggressive it’s hard to comprehend.
2. More time for hobbies and living in the moment
It’s amazing what deleting Facebook can do – it frees up so much time! Yes, I miss the animal videos, the interesting articles and those Tastemade and Meatmen cooking videos, but there are other means to get daily dose of inspiration.
3. Getting out of the comfort zone
I don’t know about you, but as an introvert, I am always nervous getting into social networking situations. And I inevitably whip out my phone to look at Facebook and Instagram to keep busy and take away the nerves.
Without the additional mobile app of Facebook, I’ll be forced to go out there and make real contact with people in real life, getting out of my comfort zone, and being more real.
I’m still on instagram, I can’t get enough of great photos and beautiful calligraphy. You can follow what I’m up to here: @chickenscrawlings
4. Privacy and controls
With the ongoing updates and changes Facebook implements, I no longer know what content is mine anymore. Not to mention when people go stalking others online, your Facebook profile is something that they turn to first.
I rarely post anything personal, but my family is on there, lots of photos of my nephews that I’m tagged in. I am not comfortable with the idea of people snooping through my content without consent – no matter how tight your privacy settings, people still screen grab, they share photos you’ve been tagged in etc.
I know because many times I am on the receiving end of this and it’s terrible!
5. Subconscious influences on newsfeed
There was a lot of recent hoo-ha about how Facebook manipulates the content that appears on your newsfeed and the dishonesty around it. And how it influenced the recent US elections.
The subconscious works in such a wonderful way, the more you’re fed certain opinions, the more it colours your objectivity. There’s a lot of fake news and bullshit out there so I think time out from Facebook and the newsfeed is helpful.
Having said all this, I still run my blog page Chicken Scrawlings, which still helps me to inform social media and content strategy for clients. It’s impossible for me to go completely off grid given the work I do. Feel free to follow along. :)
