I use it less and less these days. I've switched over to Instagram for most of my social networking as there is a fantastic woodworking/DIY/maker community there. But like you, I still have some people I keep in contact with through facebook.

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Glen, my thoughts are similar to yours. I still like the concept of the social connection and being able to find people if I want to. The rest of the time though, most people just repost memes and preachy stuff and don't create their own content. I do however like that you can sell stuff on FB Marketplace pretty easily and usually a bit faster than Craigslist.

I want to pull the plug and about did last year, but then the city band I'm in decided they wanted a Facebook page and asked me to be the social media person. However, this got me thinking that maybe I can pawn off the FB page management on someone else this season...

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While I did a FB fast in the past, I can't see cutting the cord completely. It's good for what it was designed for...social interaction with people you don't see in meatspace. But it has dissolved into bitter, hate-filled screeds that tend to put one off their oats.

I've found I've had to limit my time and who and what I keep in my feed. Which means I've unfriended people I've known for years because they can't seem to get beyond their political bent or narrative.

In the end, I try to keep a balance but like most things in life, one bad day can unbalance even the best of plans.

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I'm on it less than I used to be. The "posts similar to ones you've interacted with" being shoved into my timeline is the latest thing to push me away. But, like you said, I have a lot of friends I can keep up with there. Posting less, interacting very selectively, checking in less, not ready to delete account.

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Not to be a broken record, but you asked... I never signed up. I’m slow to change or embrace new things but I DO change my opinions and embrace new things after time spent observing etc.. This is how I approached Facebook back in the mid 2000’s. I’d recently gotten married and kind of wanted to move away from that younger phase of my life, so I opted to not participate in something that I could see would be an obvious drain on my time (due to my minimally functioning time management skills) and probably not provide a net benefit for me long term.

I’ve found this decision to be good for me. If I need to contact someone, there are enough other people on Facebook that I can simply ask them to provide an email or phone number and I can contact that person as needed. I don’t maintain many relationships but the ones I do are meaningful.

If I start my own business, which could happen in the not too distant future, I will develop an account for the business and probably have someone else post to it for me or suck it up and learn how. I see Facebook as an excellent way to communicate, but it just hasn’t been a goood fit for me and won’t be until I need to communicate with people in more of a one way relationship, by just putting info out or being contacted randomly.

I was inspired in a way, by friends and family using Facebook, following Hurricane Matthew down in Panama City FL, where Facebook was one of the only ways people in town could communicate on a larger scale. With internet and phone lines (but who has a landline anyway) down, it was a helpful tool for people to share information about where to get assistance, a shower, gas, food, or how to avoid certain predatory contractors/individuals. From hearing that, I am convinced that Facebook can be a good tool and I’m glad it exists. I would just like it to have some competition.

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I pulled the plug on FB 2 years ago. I deleted my account. I do not miss it one bit. To me the content was reposted "Like if you ..." pictures and advertisements. Plus every time some team scored a point in a game there was a comment about it. So you had to wade through piles of garbage to get to content you wanted to see.

There is one thing I miss: some of the podcasts and you tube shows that I do follow post stuff on FB that I may want to see. But that is not enough to bring me back.

I am considering leaving Instagram this year. There are just too many ads. Although with Instagram, since you post in relation to a picture there is more interesting content and less "OMG, did you see that play?" BS. Still, I feel like every 4th post on Instagram is an ad, so I am strongly considering pulling the plug on that as well.

Trust me, your life without FB is a wonderful place. You will not miss it at all after a week or so.

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I cut the cord a while back. There was a one to two week period where I missed it. I'd catch myself reaching for my phone when I normally would have started scrolling just out of habit but after I got used to that it was pretty smooth sailing. I don't miss it now; and honestly, I don't know why I found it so entertaining in the first place.

As far as the communication options listed above, I could always just make another account during that and start sending friend requests if I really had the need to communicate outside of normal lines of communication.

The cons just outweighed the pros pretty heavily in my opinion. I'm not half paying attention to my family while I scroll through information that's not really all that important. I've also found myself being more productive at work with that major distraction gone.

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Cal Newport was on the Mad Fientist podcast recently: podcast link

Even though the podcast is technically in the financial independence realm, they spent a large chunk of time talking about dropping out of social media, digital minimalism, and other great topics. Made me think a lot.

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I did it. Or at least started. I haven't been on Facebook or Twitter for about a week now. It is so liberating. I no longer feel like I have to decide what to be outraged by. I don't miss knowing what friends I haven't seen since high school are eating for lunch. I feel my soul growing back. Liberate yourself and regain your humanity.

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I only re-activated mine recently to sell a couple things. As was said previously, items seem to sell a little faster than on Craigslist. Plan to deactivate again soon if the sale is not successful.

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I use it to connect with neighbors and to spread healthy propaganda. But that is it. I have dropped out, but realized that it is the only way to connect with the people in my hood.

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I'm back! after about a 5 year hiatus, I'm BACK! So, I had been wanting/contemplating dropping FB for good for years. It wasn't until my centennial--yes, 10 years on, that I finally pulled the plug. That was over a year ago. I am FREE FREE FREE. I haven't regretted it for a split second. I have no regrets. I have a fuller life after deleting FB, I'm telling you. You'll think yourself (and me). Just do it.

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I use it much less than I used to. I used to have all my interests, sports teams, bands, etc in my FB newsfeed. Now I just subscribe to email newsletters. I don't miss anything and I can delete as I wish. I use Facebook now as a secondary means to connect with friends/family (phone is still #1)

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It's been about a year since I deactivated my Facebook account and walked away. I still think about it every day. I'm surprised how much I miss it but I will not log back in. For now I keep my account frozen and invisible, just in case...

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I agree. It sucks with all the virtue-signalling, propagation of false narratives, political tirades, biased information that is suppose to be fact (thinking of the #green movement) and advertisements which has become a major part of the feed. I got upset when within my circle of "friends" someone told me to shut-up for expressing an opinion about taxes and it's detrimental effects on the economy. I have a brain and think for myself. Part of being civilized is respecting each others opinions and starting a dialog - lost on the fb drones. So I started doing Linkedin again after abandoning it. Being a marketing person I'm doing Instagram. I know it's part of Facebook but an essential part of a modern marketing plan. Few words on Instagram, mainly picture and hashtags. I am finding more intelligent discussions with like-minded people on Linkedin. I am a Business person and Artist. Find me at Instagram.com/Lisa1LinenLady and linkedin.com/in/lisabeth-rosenberg-57238515a

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I go on there to check up on old friends from time to time, but it's mostly a waste of time. The friends and family that do post are typically not my favorites. I can't get myself to delete it though.
The best thing about it is seeing my old memories on things I've posted. The memories that pop up on their yearly "anniversaries", like when I took a camping trip with the family to Alberta.

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Deactivated but not cancelled my account so that some people I know professionally can still contact me through messenger

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So have any one moved to another platform? WeMe seems to be the most viable alternative but it seems to be like a red-headed step-child. A little harder to move around in. Seems more like a giant group text.

YMMV.

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I won't retreat from facebook - as I've decided I'm going to use the platform to speak the truth and inject light into the midst of all the chaos and nonsense.

if we all leave- it only gets worse

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