advertisement
Reply
Thread Tools Display Modes
LilyMop
Veteran Member
 
LilyMop's Avatar
LilyMop Hoping
 
Member Since: Sep 2019
Location: U.S.
Posts: 709
3 yr Member
81 hugs
given
Default Dec 09, 2019 at 01:34 PM
  #1
I’ve been thinking about closing down my Facebook and other social media. I definitely want to keep PC and a couple of other sites.

I spend too much time flipping through everybody’s happy family and friends posts on Facebook, feeling bad that my life is a mess. I don’t post much on there anymore and people question me about things. It seems easier to just shut it down.

Some people have told me they felt much better when they closed Facebook and it also freed up some of their time.

I see both sides of the social media debate, it definitely has benefits and drawbacks and I respect both opinions on that.

I’m wondering for me personally would I feel better if I just shut it down and focus on more meaningful interactions with others?

Or am I just running way from my sad feelings? Social media is not going away and it’s the way people connect these days.

What are your thoughts?
LilyMop is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Hugs from:
Anonymous42019, bpcyclist, bshaffer836, Discombobulated, MickeyCheeky
 
Thanks for this!
Anonymous42019, Discombobulated, MickeyCheeky

advertisement
CANDC
Super Moderator
Community Support Team
Community Liaison
Chat Leader
 
CANDC's Avatar
CANDC has no updates.
 
Member Since: May 2014
Location: Northeast USA New England
Posts: 17,326 (SuperPoster!)
8 yr Member
2,307 hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default Dec 09, 2019 at 02:15 PM
  #2
Well the positive part of Facebook can be keeping in touch with friends and family.

The negative side is it can be something that lowers our self esteem if we compare to others. I find a minimal approach where I have a designated time to be on there is good for me.

The problem with shutting down is you may lose content.

The plus side of shutting down is you can start over and make your account private and carefully select the friends that really are your friends.

@CANDC

__________________
Super Moderator
Community Support Team

"Things Take Time"
CANDC is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Hugs from:
bpcyclist, MickeyCheeky
 
Thanks for this!
Discombobulated, LilyMop, MickeyCheeky, WovenGalaxy
Discombobulated
Grand Magnate
 
Discombobulated's Avatar
Discombobulated has no updates.
 
Member Since: Oct 2019
Location: UK
Posts: 4,642 (SuperPoster!)
3 yr Member
11.5k hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default Dec 09, 2019 at 04:24 PM
  #3
I deactivated my Facebook account a while ago. It really was getting to me in the way you describe, far from feeling connected I was feeling disconnected by it.

How about you deactivate a while and see how you go? Deactivating freezes everything so it's exactly as you left it.

When I reactivated it I felt a better sense of perspective somehow and the overwhelming feeling was no longer there. I think I'll keep it as a contact directory but not look at it as much.
Discombobulated is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Hugs from:
bpcyclist
 
Thanks for this!
LilyMop, WovenGalaxy
~Christina
Legendary Wise Elder
Community Liaison
 
~Christina's Avatar
~Christina has no updates.
 
Member Since: Jul 2011
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 22,450 (SuperPoster!)
10 yr Member
12.7k hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default Dec 09, 2019 at 04:28 PM
  #4
I personally enjoy Social media. I love scrolling Facebook and seeing all the memes and peoples pics etc.

Facebook has connected me to so many friends from my high school days , old co workers and relatives across the country and friends in Canada and Cape Town South Africa and more.

I’m not upset when people post happy pictures from vacation or a trip to a park etc because I know they likely took 30 pictures to find one that they actually like enough to post lol Even when depressed I love seeing people happy because I know I’ll feel like that again.

If social media is distressing them by all means close your accounts or just do not use them.

__________________
Helping others gets me out of my own head ~
~Christina is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Hugs from:
bpcyclist
 
Thanks for this!
LilyMop, WovenGalaxy
Anonymous42019
Magnate
 
Anonymous42019's Avatar
Anonymous42019 VOID
 
Member Since: Sep 2019
Location: UK
Posts: 2,406
3 yr Member
3,106 hugs
given
Default Dec 10, 2019 at 06:10 AM
  #5
Hey @LilyMop I suggest instead of closing your social media accounts, that you make them private and only invite those you trust to join you. Facebook helps families and friends connect, especially from afar. In the meantime as another member wisely suggested you deactivate your account until deciding later.

__________________






Anonymous42019 is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Hugs from:
bpcyclist
 
Thanks for this!
LilyMop
bpcyclist
Legendary
 
bpcyclist's Avatar
bpcyclist has no updates.
 
Member Since: Sep 2019
Location: Portland
Posts: 12,681 (SuperPoster!)
3 yr Member
40.2k hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default Dec 10, 2019 at 12:17 PM
  #6
Never belonged to facebook or instagram or any of them. I have only belonged to three sort of social media sites--this, a biking one, and a headphone one. I just ditched the headphone one because the owner of the site censored one of my posts. It was asking members about their views on safety of wireless in-ear headphones. He was afraid (I believe) that it might anger some of his advertisers. He's right. It would have. Anyway, I have tens and tens of thousands of posts there and I just deleted my profile and signature, changed my byline to, The first amendment is the best amendment, changed my avatar to a burning black hole, and was done. Poof!

The biking one is unfortunately mostly men and there is just way too much testosterone. People constantly slamming other members, trying to humiliate them and make them appear clueless. It's just ridiculous and I may shut it down as well. Bunch of 6th graders. And I have no intention of ever returning to 6th grade.

PC is great because there is a level of decorum and sensitivity here that is quite refreshing. I just love PC.

As for all the others, you can have them. I realize I am in the minority here, but I believe "traditional" social media is doing a lot of harm to a lot of people. In the long run, I'm just not convinced it is necessarily such a great thing after all--unless your last name is Zuckerberg.

__________________
When I was a kid, my parents moved a lot, but I always found them--Rodney Dangerfield
bpcyclist is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Hugs from:
WovenGalaxy
 
Thanks for this!
Discombobulated, LilyMop, WovenGalaxy
LilyMop
Veteran Member
 
LilyMop's Avatar
LilyMop Hoping
 
Member Since: Sep 2019
Location: U.S.
Posts: 709
3 yr Member
81 hugs
given
Default Dec 10, 2019 at 02:09 PM
  #7
I read your responses carefully and all of you are correct. Yes, I do believe social media is having a negative affect on people. Yet it’s the main way to stay in contact with people these days.

I realized that I was on ten different social media sites, including PC. Wow! That’s too much. I shut down half of them and I made the rest more private.
LilyMop is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Hugs from:
bpcyclist, Discombobulated, WovenGalaxy
LilyMop
Veteran Member
 
LilyMop's Avatar
LilyMop Hoping
 
Member Since: Sep 2019
Location: U.S.
Posts: 709
3 yr Member
81 hugs
given
Default Dec 10, 2019 at 02:10 PM
  #8
Quote:
Originally Posted by CANDC View Post
Well the positive part of Facebook can be keeping in touch with friends and family.


The negative side is it can be something that lowers our self esteem if we compare to others. I find a minimal approach where I have a designated time to be on there is good for me.


The problem with shutting down is you may lose content.


The plus side of shutting down is you can start over and make your account private and carefully select the friends that really are your friends.

@CANDC


Thank you for your thoughtful response to my question. The key is not comparing myself to others. That can happen with or without Facebook right?
LilyMop is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Hugs from:
bpcyclist
LilyMop
Veteran Member
 
LilyMop's Avatar
LilyMop Hoping
 
Member Since: Sep 2019
Location: U.S.
Posts: 709
3 yr Member
81 hugs
given
Default Dec 10, 2019 at 02:12 PM
  #9
Quote:
Originally Posted by Discombobulated View Post
I deactivated my Facebook account a while ago. It really was getting to me in the way you describe, far from feeling connected I was feeling disconnected by it.


How about you deactivate a while and see how you go? Deactivating freezes everything so it's exactly as you left it.


When I reactivated it I felt a better sense of perspective somehow and the overwhelming feeling was no longer there. I think I'll keep it as a contact directory but not look at it as much.


Yes! I have been feeling more disconnected than connected. I will try to start using it as a contact directory versus daily news and entertainment. It can be distressing when we are going through hard times.
LilyMop is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Hugs from:
bpcyclist, Discombobulated, WovenGalaxy
 
Thanks for this!
Discombobulated, WovenGalaxy
LilyMop
Veteran Member
 
LilyMop's Avatar
LilyMop Hoping
 
Member Since: Sep 2019
Location: U.S.
Posts: 709
3 yr Member
81 hugs
given
Default Dec 10, 2019 at 02:13 PM
  #10
Quote:
Originally Posted by ~Christina View Post
Even when depressed I love seeing people happy because I know I’ll feel like that again:


I love this. I will try to look at it this way.
LilyMop is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Hugs from:
bpcyclist, Discombobulated
 
Thanks for this!
~Christina
Thunder Bow
Elder
 
Thunder Bow's Avatar
Thunder Bow is a Medicine Man
 
Member Since: Sep 2012
Location: Arizona
Posts: 5,630
10 yr Member
3 hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default Dec 10, 2019 at 02:58 PM
  #11
Shut it down, or just limit your use of FB. Never compare yourself to others.

__________________
Social Media

www.lightningthunderbow.com
Thunder Bow is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Thanks for this!
LilyMop
happysobercrafter
Elder
 
happysobercrafter's Avatar
happysobercrafter is AKA Landon Clary Eason
 
Member Since: Jul 2017
Location: MO
Posts: 5,677 (SuperPoster!)
5 yr Member
9,930 hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default Dec 10, 2019 at 05:05 PM
  #12
@LilyMop

Hey, honeybunny!!!

I am on social media, plus I am a gamer. I have over 2000 friends on my FB. Most of them are gaming friends. One cool thing is that they are from all over the globe. The downside is where one benefit comes in. I "unfollow" most of them, LOL I can go through my closest friends posting and keep up with what is going on with them and vice versa since I post funny picture on there as I do here.

I am on Twitter, Instagram, and another I can't remember the name of but I rarely use those. I am Pinterest and I use that a lot.

What do you think? What is working for you?

__________________


"Love you.
Take care of you.

Be true to you.

You are the only you,
you will ever know the best.


Reach for YOUR stars.


You can reach them better
than anyone else ever can."


Landon Clary Eason
Grateful Sobriety Fangirl Since 11-16-2007

Happy Sober Crafter
happysobercrafter is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Thanks for this!
Discombobulated, WovenGalaxy
LilyMop
Veteran Member
 
LilyMop's Avatar
LilyMop Hoping
 
Member Since: Sep 2019
Location: U.S.
Posts: 709
3 yr Member
81 hugs
given
Default Dec 10, 2019 at 06:19 PM
  #13
@HappyCrafter

It sounds like you have a good method of keeping social media positive and connected with the right people. Its a good way to manage it I think.
LilyMop is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Hugs from:
happysobercrafter
 
Thanks for this!
happysobercrafter, WovenGalaxy
LilyMop
Veteran Member
 
LilyMop's Avatar
LilyMop Hoping
 
Member Since: Sep 2019
Location: U.S.
Posts: 709
3 yr Member
81 hugs
given
Default Dec 11, 2019 at 10:34 AM
  #14
Never mind....

Last edited by LilyMop; Dec 11, 2019 at 11:11 AM..
LilyMop is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Hugs from:
Discombobulated, WovenGalaxy
All times are GMT -5. The time now is 04:14 AM.
Powered by vBulletin® — Copyright © 2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.



 

My Support Forums

My Support Forums is the online community that was originally begun as the Psych Central Forums in 2001. It now runs as an independent self-help support group community for mental health, personality, and psychological issues and is overseen by a group of dedicated, caring volunteers from around the world.

 

Helplines and Lifelines

The material on this site is for informational purposes only, and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment provided by a qualified health care provider.

Always consult your doctor or mental health professional before trying anything you read here.