NowSourcing’s own Jay Vasse recently did an article about the decline in Facebook users. The popular site lost around 6 million users in the month of May. Though, overall, Facebook is still growing and the drop is most likely based on seasonal factors and the fact that over half the population is on Facebook, and sometimes the numbers fall before skyrocketing – it is something to think about. What if Facebook really did fizzle out?
If you were born before 1994 you can probably remember a life without Facebook – what did we do all day? I did an experiment on myself last week to see how many times I actually check Facebook in a day. This was very difficult because I was conscious of it, but the desire to check your newsfeed or update your status does not lie. I became a little angry at myself when I reached close to 50 within the first 3 hours of my work day. That means I checked Facebook around 17 times in an hour and if I stayed on for one minute – I was on for just under an hour of the three hours. Of course my numbers are a bit higher because I work in social media, so Facebook really is a part of my job… but for the most part, I had the desire to see what was going on with my friends and to possibly update a status.
More than likely if there was no Facebook, I would have been more productive in that hour, found something else unproductive to do or been bored. Here’s the thing about this site, it is the epitome of entertainment. It offers: music, videos, funny images, disturbing images, all of your friends and enemies, and the chance to talk about yourself, and build whatever identity you want. It also is the new birthplace of drama and conflict.
It’s no secret that Facebook can make or break relationships, however this is usually due to one’s own stupidity or sheer jealousy, nonetheless, Facebook is a legal form of stalking, and most of us are guilty of it. It’s just too easy. The blog, AllFacebook published a post last year called The Utimate Guide To Facebook Breakups. It goes through the steps of how people conduct themselves on Facebook after a breakup – you are no longer friends, you need to start posting pics of yourself having fun with someone more attractive, and so on. Cyber Psychology and Behavior did a study in 2009 showing that certain information given on Facebook is given for a reason and there is a distinct connection with relationship status, religion, and status updates. It suggests that there is a psychological process to what people display and don’t display. When someone displays their religion they are seeking a mate who shares these same ideas, when someone displays that they are single, rather than opting to keep their relationship status private, they are looking for some connection through the network. They also looked at the differences in male and female profiles to see how each gender represented themselves. Males are less likely to mention their significant other on their profile page; a female’s page tends to revolve around her significant other. This explains why women tend to think it isn’t official until it’s on Facebook, and men simply do not understand this mentality.
Facebook has allowed us to share our lives, beliefs, and problems with everyone we know and more. We create an identity online that may or may not be true but it is how we want to be seen. We also follow lives on Facebook, people we haven’t seen for years, we know everything about them and we keep saying “we need to get together”. A life without Facebook would never speak to this person or they would actually get together. I challenge everyone to make a list of people they keep up with on a regular basis solely through Facebook – would you ever speak to these people again if you did not have this outlet?
Without Facebook, people would actually have to have conversations with each other about interests, family, hobbies, what they did that day… instead they can just login to your life. A life without Facebook would be a life that actually takes effort to know anything about, and you would actually have to play tennis, not just put it as one of your activities/interests.
Wow, Kristina, I must say I enjoyed reading your post. I’ve deactivated my account (and plan to keep it that way) until I sort things out. I got a bit addicted to FB and I should compensate for the lost productivity
Yep, I definitely remember a time before Facebook. There was also a time (right after my college got in on the Facebook) that I wasn’t sure what we did before we had it, just like the sentiment that express at the beginning of your post here. However, I quickly got over the Facebook addiction, luckily.
Now, I teach theatre at a Missouri high school and I love talking about the days before Facebook with my students. They can’t believe that Facebook hasn’t always been around, haha. My favorite is when I tell them that I still remember when it was thefacebook.com. That really blow’s them away.
Anyway, I really did enjoy this post. I’m starting to feel the same way about Facebook, I use it less and less everyday.
Very interesting points, I will send this article to my printer for a hard copy to pass to my friend who has thus far resisted the whole digital evolution. He often asks me what the point of having Facebook is, and refuses to get online because it disrupts his productivity. He will have a field day with this.
Great article! I am a sixteen year old girl and I believe that Facebook has destroyed my time. I want a life without Facebook because it takes away SO MUCH TIME. I want to go outside more often, but I just can’t bring myself to go because I know Facebook would be more entertaining. I’m very hyprocrital when it comes to this subject though… I hate it. I know if I deactivate it, I would probably be more productive… but I know that I’ll be the only one of my friends without one.. therefore I will probably find myself lonely and left out.. hopefully that’s something I can get over though, right?
hey, Nice article. Am 19. I have just deactivated my facebook account, and I really feel free, like as if my addiction for it has vanished, and trust me, that feels good! I used to check facebook every now and then and I dawdled way too much on that site. Now, i intend to meet and befriend people in real life( this is much more interesting than meeting someone online- eye contact and stuff) I have time for the dogs, my parents and even have more time to pratise playing piano and drawing(my favourite hobbies. Well, i think life, at least for me, is much more beautiful without facebook. I feel alive!
just deactivated my facebook, that is why i am reading articles on life without facebook. i was starting to get too attached to it. i noticed that you wrote this article in 2011, i was just wondering how are you holding up? have you reactivated your facebook?
Thanks for this. Just the encouragement I needed to confirm that I’m no alone in wanting to escape from the craziness that fb has become and is still becoming. I linked this article in my very last blogpost : ]
Thanks again!
Absolutely true,and I just felt exactly the same as you do. I have been so far deactived, actived, then deactived again for several times already,but always kept my data on it, mainly due to the social pressure such as my whole class are all in, except me which forces me to rejoin it again….until I get annoyed by it again, just deleted everything(if though I know its still somewhere there). Now my account is blank,I feel released somehow. It’s just no real and senseless,waste of time as well…..
Have u guys reactivated now in 2013