Summary

The author describes significant life improvements after quitting Facebook and Instagram, emphasizing the benefits of disconnecting from social media.

Abstract

The article "Quitting Facebook Changed My Life" details the author's experience after leaving social media platforms owned by Meta. The decision to quit was initially met with confusion from friends and family, but it eventually led to more meaningful interactions and a healthier lifestyle. The author highlights a return to traditional news consumption, increased physical activity, and a more private life. They also note a reduction in the compulsion to constantly share and react to content online, leading to a more authentic experience of life's moments. The article suggests that the Surgeon General's warning about social media's impact on mental health may prompt others to reconsider their online habits.

Opinions

The author believes that social media is largely a waste of time and can negatively affect mental health.
Professional journalism is valued by the author for its ability to discern truth from falsehood, contrasting with the unfiltered content on social media.
There is a critique of the performative aspect of social media, where sharing and reacting to posts becomes a substitute for genuine emotional expression.
The author places importance on direct, personal communication and the depth of relationships that can be achieved without a social media presence.
The article conveys a sense of freedom and peace from not being bombarded with the personal details of others' lives, including those of former partners.
The author expresses a preference for experiencing life's moments firsthand rather than through the lens of documenting them for an online audience.
There is a sense of increased productivity and creativity, as evidenced by the author's increased writing output and demand for their work after leaving social media.
The author suggests that social media can create an unnecessary preoccupation with trivial matters, such as online games like Wordle or the activities of strangers.
A key opinion is that real-life interactions and experiences are far more fulfilling than their digital counterparts.

Quitting Facebook Changed My Life

The Surgeon General’s warning confirmed what I already knew

Excerpted from Goodbye Phone, Hello World. Illustration by Emilliano Ponzi

I quit Facebook, Instagram and every other property owned by what is now called Meta nearly two years ago. It was at the time a rash decision and at first many of my friends and family wondered where I had “gone.” Soon, though, the people who mattered “found” me. It wasn’t a hard thing to do. I was always here. Soon after that, the daily flow of my life started to change.

I wonder if others are starting to see the complete and utter uselessness of a tool that has come to dominate our waking lives and even invade our dreams.

With the Surgeon General issuing a warning this spring about the profound risk social media poses to mental health, I wonder (hope?) if others are starting to see the complete and utter uselessness of a tool that has come to dominate our waking lives and even invade our dreams.

Probably I’m jumping the gun. Probably you will all raise an eyebrow and then go back to scrolling. But before you do, I thought I’d just lay out here some things that have changed for me since saying goodbye to Zuckerberg and Co.

Here goes:

I get the news from reporters who are professionally trained to discern bullshit from reality

2. I read the news once in the morning and call it a day

3. I am the first out of the house on a bike or a run

4. I am the last to hear about my brother’s friend’s sister’s baby’s skinned knee

5. I don’t like anything

6. I don’t dislike anything

7. I don’t share anything

8. I use actual words to describe specific feelings that are unique to a particular moment in time

9. I spend my vacations looking at things rather than photographing things so that other people can look at those things

10. I no longer see the vacations of others

11. I write more than ever and receive more requests for my writing than ever

12. I don’t give a shit about Wordle

13. I look at my own cat when she does something cute

14. I pet my cat if she’s particularly cute

15. I call my friends to find out how they are doing

16. When I do this they often share something with me that they would never share on social media

17. I brag in person and suffer the consequences

18. I have no idea how my exes are doing

19. I don’t carry around in my head the ravings of someone I’ve never met

20. At night I close my eyes and dream of real people

More on quitting digital things here