I stopped using Facebook a lot back in 2014. I did not like the direction it was going back then. But I had a lot of friends on Facebook so I would still log in around ones a month. I did not want to delete my Facebook account because I thought I would miss out if I did.
But over the years more and
I always kind of knew
Since 2014 I always kind of knew in the back of my mind that I wanted to be off Facebook. I had this gut feeling about it that I did not like. And as more and more truth came out that feeling grew stronger.
The experiment
A few months back, most likely after more bad news, I decided I would do an experiment. I was already kind of close to being off permanently by not logging in much. So I would just not log in at all for a few months and see if I miss it.
Turns out I did not.
Sure I missed a few bits of news about a family cookout. But I probably would have missed that anyway with my ones a month login habit.
Getting other forms of contact
Ones I finished my experiment and discovered I did not need Facebook in my life I started collecting contact information from my friends. It is kind of sad how many “friends” we have on Facebook but we do not know how to contact them outside of Facebook.
This also gave me a chance to weed out people I had as friends that I have not talked to since high school. I figured if we are not even staying in touch on Facebook then it is not going to happen off F
Deleting Facebook
Ones I had that info I made one last post on Facebook saying I was deleting my account. I gave my e-mail address so if anyone was interested they could reach out to me. Then I waited a few days and pushed delete.
If you are interested in deleting your account then check this site out. It helped me find the hidden delete page. https://deletefacebook.com/guide/
So why did I delete my account?
The short answer is that I am fundamentally opposed to Facebook’s lack of ethics and the way they treat their users.
The long answer I will list below.
Some Reasons Why I Dislike Facebook
Some of this info may be out of date but there is a clear history of abusive behavior that has shown no sign of stopping.
- Facebook has conducted psychological experiments to manipulate the emotions of its users.
- They track your location all the time without telling you. They also use face recognition to track your location through pictures.
- With the location data from facebook messenger, detailed schedules of your habits can be built. Things like when and where you sleep and when you are at work.
- They might be targeting ads based on your emotions.
- They can turn your phone’s microphone on without telling you.
- They track your health data without telling you. Even when a woman is having her periods.
- Former Facebook Exec will not let his own kids use Facebook.
- They use your picture as an endorsement in advertising without asking your permission.
- They gave away personal data to Mastercard.
- It is not a free and open platform. Facebook actively censors
news , information, and political content all the time. - They track you even if you are not a member and they can get even more info on you when your friends and family are using facebook.
This list could go on forever. But that gives you an idea of why I hate Facebook and refuse to use it. Try doing a search on it yourself. It is hard to say what all you will find.
You should delete your account too!
There is a lot of social pressure to stay on Facebook. But I would highly encourage you to do your own research. I know the more I looked into it the more disgusted I felt.
If nothing else I hope I have made you think a little bit more about protecting your privacy online.
