Dreamer's World March 27, 2018 - Life Without FaceBook Isn't So Bad After All

    It has been approximately one week since I deleted my FaceBook account. Apparently, I was ahead of a small but growing trend of people who are fed up with the intrusive nature of FaceBook, especially after the discoveries about how personal information was shared without prior knowledge. I think that I deleted my account just before the Cambridge Analytica revelations, my reasons were my own, but the news of the unauthorized sharing of personal data would have made up my mind to do the same thing.
    There was a shock at first. I had to delete the FaceBook app from my phone and computer. It wasn't due to any great temptation, I found its presence a reminder of why I deleted my account in the first place. I have had a few complications where I linked my FaceBook account to another app for convenience, I am changing those as I run across them. Finding these links reminds me how insidious FaceBook had become even without the illegal release of personal information.
    I had deleted FaceBook once before. I went back to it after a friend of mine died unexpectedly. It turned out to be the most convenient way to keep in touch with his family. As the contact with them slowly ebbed away, I was left with the tidal wave of information that I had no use for. I attempted to create my own space on FaceBook but found it all somewhat overwhelming for a private person like myself. The lack of interaction with other users, particularly people I knew personally, just added to the sense of alienation.
    I made the conscious decision to delete FaceBook and the equally conscious decision not to make it a public declaration on that site. Public renunciations and statements that a user is leaving, followed by a list of grievances, never appealed to me. I realize that some will consider this blog a replacement forum for doing the exact same thing, but this is my platform to write about what I want to write about. There are no personal accusations, intentional or otherwise, for someone to take offense at since reading this requires a little more time and not just an instant "Like."
    The adjustment to being FaceBook-free once again is quick and painless if you don't dwell on it. Finding that there is life to live in the real world is more than enough compensation to me. FaceBook just isn't for me.
    As for the illegal release of personal information, I hope that this is a wake-up call to the public and to social media in general. I urge readers to take the necessary precautions to protect their data and privacy.


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