Facebook is just like that annoying ex who keeps on texting you even when you're taking a break. Just when you think you've broken the habit of surfing the news feed and posting your every picture or thought on the monstrous social media platform, you begin to receive unwanted e-mails about the notifications that you have and the activity of your friends.
Psychologically speaking, Facebook is trying to be like Hotel California: the place from which you can check out (take breaks) any time you want, but you can never leave. Once you create an account, you're encouraged to be honest about your personal information so other friends can find you. Are you hoping to reconnect with school friends you haven't seen in years? Just fill your profile with data that you otherwise wouldn't publicly expose to lurking strangers.
As soon as you begin to build a large network of friends, they are all connected in one way or another to the places where you live, the jobs that you're taking, and the education institutions you're attending. The platform links every new connection to several criteria, knows exactly whom to recommend to you, and makes a lot of money from very precise and well-targeted advertisement which doesn't have to make any guesses about your whereabouts and preferences (you're conveniently encouraged to "Like" all the pages of actors, musicians, and venues that you like).
But all this data is used against you when you're trying to get rid of Facebook. I've spent the last couple of weeks completely free and without checking the feed. In exchange, I've received plenty of e-mails to inform me that I have notifications, certain friends (with whom I've had plenty of interactions) have posted something interesting, and there are events happening next to me.
This is exactly why I'm comparing Facebook with that annoying ex who calls you every now and then to remind you about the great times you've enjoyed together, as a way of emotionally blackmailing you. Ultimately, this attempt is carefully crafted in order to make you give up on your ambitious plan, change your mind about your radical decision to leave, and shamefully return because you're that weak.
To a lot of people, these attempts are more than enough to strike that emotional cord which magically reverses the previously-established plans. However, my reaction is the exact opposite: I see behind the good intentions of keeping me informed with the state of my virtual friends and feel a stronger urge to break away. I want to break away from these digital chains, I want to leave behind all the mornings when I'd wake up checking the news feed and randomly liking vacation pictures, and I want to live a quieter life which allows me to better focus on my goals. My time in this world is limited and I'd rather spend it more wisely.
At this point, I can't directly delete Facebook (though I would very much like to) because I still haven't messaged all of my 1880 friends to inform them about the other means through which they can contact me. I have yet to buy a large agenda and write down their birthdays, phone numbers, and addresses. And all of this takes time and is part of the process. However, I've taken this healthy break from the network and didn't send any more messages.
That will change in the upcoming weeks, but I want it to be quick and brief. This is one of the most rational and well-calculated decisions I've ever made, I feel that my life needs this change, and I want to make it. I will delete Facebook.
