Goodbye Facebook

So here it finally is.
I’m breaking up with Facebook.

Maybe I should change my relationship-status (regarding Facebook) to «It’s complicated»,- because it is..
So many funny videos of animals, or «drunk guy falling down ladder in Hillbilly-country».
So easy to stay connected and keep up to date on what my friends and distant family are doing at any one time.
And at the same time it is all so mind numbing. Pictures of food, pets, glasses of wine and more pets.

We don’t make regular plans or send invitations on paper anymore. Most events are arranged via Facebook. Both for work and social get-togethers, birthday parties and the like. Any time now Facebook will be the go-to medium for wedding invitations as well as funeral arrangements. I’m sure of it, and I find the idea scary and creepy and a little bit tantalizing. As I said, it’s complicated.

I like the convenience, but there seems to be no limit with regards to data-sharing between sites like Facebook and Amazon and many others. Yes, I buy all of my books and a lot of other stuff via Amazon, and then my Facebook is drowned in commercials of items similar to what I just bought. Convenient, scary, very annoying, and a bit worrying.

The amount of time I spend on Facebook seems waaay to high. I’m probably no worse or better than anyone I know. Most of my Facebook friends will agree on any given day,- right after taking a test to find your inner spirit animal, favourite color, and apparent age… It just seems like a lot of time wasted on nothing. Time that could have been better spent reading a book or working out (without checking in to let everyone know I’m working out), or maybe chasing a hobby, honing a skill, or just actually talking face to face with the people that matter in my life.
Nope,- Facebook-chat does not count! Body language should not equal words-per-minute on a QWERTY! But sadly I feel that’s the case today.

Am I moving into a cave and going full-on Amish? Of course not! I just want to change the way I interact with friends and family. I still have this blog if I feel I need to share something with «everyone». My friends already follow me on Instagram, have my phone number and email address, and they  know where I live, because we actually hang out from time to time.

Focusing on my friends and family in real life, my hobbies, my reading and working out (in secret because Facebook won’t know about it) will most likely bring a new level of quality to,- well,-  everything..

There is a good chance I will miss the mindless entertainment and keeping updated on current events as sorted, prioritized and presented by Facebook but that in it self is just another reason for me to shut down my account. Cold turkey seems the only solution.

It’s complicated. There are many valid reasons for why I should stay on Facebook, and there are at least an equal amount of arguments for why I should just log out, and carefully back away.Funny enough I feel I have to post this on Facebook in order to quit Facebook. And who knows? Maybe I’m not a quitter? Maybe my life has no meaning without Facebook? Time will tell I guess..

But, for now it’s over. I’m breaking up with you, Facebook. I’d like to say «it’s not you, it’s me», but I feel we need to be honest to each other at this point. It’s not me. It’s you! It was fun in the beginning,- but you changed and it all turned to shit.

I am free