That’s it! I’m done! Tada! However this decision isn’t because of the latest Cambridge Analytica screw-up nor am I concerned about my data privacy. I believe if I have gone to the extent of posting any data (images or information) online it is for the world and eventually can and might be used against me. Hence we all need to be a little careful of what we post.

With that said my sole reason for getting done with Facebook is because I think it has served its purpose. Good job Facebook! When I first joined Facebook after getting thoroughly bored with Orkut and leaving the old mIRC days behind, I ended up getting in touch with a lot of old school mates, uni crushes, favourite ex-colleagues, and sometimes helped me to get in touch with people I thought I didn’t want to be in touch. It did that. And I think since last 10 years it has successfully got me in touch with everybody I’ve wanted to. Among them I am regularly in contact with most if not all. It has done its job. I no longer need it to keep filling my screen with unnecessary feed about how someones dog takes a shit or about some people are awesome or how to get on a diet.

I feel today the internet is all about being a sensation. Everyone feels the need to get out there and make funny videos, snapchat compilations, and keep piling the internet with things that are absolute crap. Its like back in the 90’s when we had unnecessary TV shows that occupied our time from constructive things like reading and learning. Today Facebook and the likes have done just that and we are helping it do that and more.

At one point I was so addicted to Facebook, that I would endlessly scroll through kilometres of feed after getting in bed at about 11 pm and realise its 2 am already. WTF! I’m sure most can relate. And not that I was seeing important updates from any of my peeps. I was f*cking watching crap videos. Yes I’ve been a victim. Facebook helped develop a good amount of envy for those posting photos on yachts and expensive cruises, people taking a holiday every weekend, people pretending to be master chefs by clicking hi-res photos of dishes (I did this too), and then political agenda and supposedly intellect online debate. I kept thinking like I’m being left out of this social race or that my introvert behaviour had something to do with me not liking this but yet having the need to do this. I joined the bandwagon and got out there (for a while). But it really destroyed who I was.

Then I think I was hit with some maturity and some intense self-indulged thought process to realise I’m wasting so much time – a resource that we all have limited and we end up spending on what awesome stuff unknown people do. BS. I’d rather do awesome stuff. Like sleep on time. Not spend 30 minutes in the office toilet. Listen when people talk. Be present. Its an important thing. We are missing on important moments and conversations in life just for the need to post things that are going to be irrelevant and mostly embarrass us in time. We’ve reduced our attention span to the the length of a quick video. Anyone listening to someone talk looses focus in 4-7 minutes. Unless they’re beautiful but that a whole another blog.

Whenever Facebook reminds me about memories from the past I only get more and more embarrassed (and yes I do at times enjoy it and do miss certain moments yet its embarrassment). Hence the decision. Facebook – you need to GO! But then I realise I can’t completely disconnect. I have business activity running on Facebook. I use messenger as a communications tool. I use it to find events in the city. It is useful to broadcast quick messages to all or certain groups of friends. These things I find useful and hence since last year I decided to do this –

I logout from Facebook every Sunday evening and log back in on Saturday midday.

Hence I haven’t completely left Facebook. I logout and escape the wrath that would follow otherwise.  No notifications. No shitty stuff. I’ve un-liked almost everything. Reviewed my friend list 2 times already (tough job) and un-friended a lot of people I’m not in touch with and not about to get in touch with. Removed all 3rd party apps. Any ad gets reported for not being relevant even if it is. I’m sure Facebook is super confused about me.

I’m happy now. I have better things to do. I miss it though at times. Something to fallback on in an uninteresting group discussion or while riding the train to avoid eye-contact (everyone does it don’t judge me). But I stopped it in time. Now …..

I’ve moved on to Instagram 😀 and soon you’ll hear me rant about leaving Instagram too. Until then…..