Boycotting FaceBook (Including InstaGram)
Nov. 10th, 2021 10:06 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mlerulesSo, I've decided to join the user boycott of FB/IG for the next few days. https://thefacebooklogout.com/ Regardless of what it'll do against FB, if anything, I feel it's not a bad idea for ME anyway.
Yeah, I've gotten so used to spending time on FB that when it went off-air for a few hours recently, I felt at a loss. Now it's my choice to avoid it for a while. I know it'd become a compulsion. Heck, last night I stuck a small post-it on my phone reading "NO FB/IG" to stop myself from pushing the easily accessible buttons which I do so naturally that I've already hit FB once on my phone this AM and had to swipe it closed before it actually launched. *rolls eyes*
It helps that I also use Discord, and a bit of WhatsApp, and have an on-going small group text of folks who I also check in with nearly daily via InstaGram. This way I don't feel as disconnected electronically as I would otherwise. I do feel bad for those I know who're stuck inside (elderly and/or disabled) who rely on FB for a lot of their social connectivity. Those few folks I'll make a point of checking in with other ways. Hopefully all this'll help me cut the cord. FB is evil. I know this. It's also compelling.
Part of what I want to do here on LJ now and for the next few days is figure out what value I derive from FB, and see if I cannot make it so elsewhere. I certainly survived - and thrived socially - without it for most of my life. In fact, as usual with tech stuff, I was a late adapter and only joined FB in late 2007. It then took another big chunk o' time before I used it daily. Hmm, I used to be an inveterate postcard writer. My output's lessened greatly over the past year. Time to ramp that back up, methinks! We shall also see whether I accomplish other items on my mental To Do list since I won't be spending time each day on FB/IG and related activities, such as WWF (Words With Friends, a FB app for the laptop). Wish me luck!
Yeah, I've gotten so used to spending time on FB that when it went off-air for a few hours recently, I felt at a loss. Now it's my choice to avoid it for a while. I know it'd become a compulsion. Heck, last night I stuck a small post-it on my phone reading "NO FB/IG" to stop myself from pushing the easily accessible buttons which I do so naturally that I've already hit FB once on my phone this AM and had to swipe it closed before it actually launched. *rolls eyes*
It helps that I also use Discord, and a bit of WhatsApp, and have an on-going small group text of folks who I also check in with nearly daily via InstaGram. This way I don't feel as disconnected electronically as I would otherwise. I do feel bad for those I know who're stuck inside (elderly and/or disabled) who rely on FB for a lot of their social connectivity. Those few folks I'll make a point of checking in with other ways. Hopefully all this'll help me cut the cord. FB is evil. I know this. It's also compelling.
Part of what I want to do here on LJ now and for the next few days is figure out what value I derive from FB, and see if I cannot make it so elsewhere. I certainly survived - and thrived socially - without it for most of my life. In fact, as usual with tech stuff, I was a late adapter and only joined FB in late 2007. It then took another big chunk o' time before I used it daily. Hmm, I used to be an inveterate postcard writer. My output's lessened greatly over the past year. Time to ramp that back up, methinks! We shall also see whether I accomplish other items on my mental To Do list since I won't be spending time each day on FB/IG and related activities, such as WWF (Words With Friends, a FB app for the laptop). Wish me luck!
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Date: 2021-11-10 09:58 pm (UTC)But then I'm left with the question of how to stay in touch with the people I keep in contact with on FB. They can stay in touch with me if I write on my blog, but for most of them, there's no reciprocal way for me to stay in touch with them. It's endlessly frustrating.
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Date: 2021-11-10 10:17 pm (UTC)Yeah, it's tricky re: keeping in touch w/folks. I've already emailed a couple of folks today, and felt more connected with them in the process. It'll be interesting to see if that feeling remains even if I don't hear back from 'em in a while. I think it will, actually, and it's a stronger feeling than the quick Likes and even a longer comment via FB.
Best wishes!