Should You Deactivate Your Facebook Account? Here Are the Signs

Social media has paved the way for so many good things; but at the same time, it has created an avenue for spreading negative things like toxicity and false news. And if there’s one essential lesson we’ve learned during the pandemic, it’s this: “Let go of what no longer serves you.” For those of us who practically live on social media, this can also translate to “deactivate your Facebook account — now.”

Thinking about taking a break from this social media platform? Keep reading to discover the sure-fire signs that it’s time to deactivate your Facebook account, whether permanently or just for a bit.

Also read: The ‘Facebook Profile Lock’ and How Filipinos Can Do It Locally

Signs you should deactivate your Facebook account, ASAP

1. Logging in to your account makes you feel anxious

It’s your daily routine: You wake up, grab your phone, and tap on your Facebook app. The first thing on your newsfeed? Something that instantly fuels you with bad vibes to start the day. Despite this, the cycle continues; and with time, you end up finding yourself waking up with a sense of dread. You think to yourself, “What sort of bad news will I find on Facebook this morning?”

If most of the content you see on your newsfeed is either toxic or anxiety-inducing, then it sounds a lot like deactivating your account would do you lots of good. That, or you could at the very least start your day differently!

2. You often find yourself mindlessly scrolling through your feed way too much

It’s an idle day, and yet — woah! — you realise you’ve been scrolling through your Facebook feed for over an hour already. “Why can’t I stop scrolling? I actually don’t even care about all these things I’m seeing,” you tell yourself. You fully recognise that you could actually be spending your time more wisely, but you have to admit it: Without you even realising it, your fingers always seem to find themselves tapping that blue and white icon.

The best way to stop this habit? Deactivate your account already — or you know, just delete your app. Out of sight, out of mind.

3. You’re able to connect with your friends and family through other means

Remember the good old days, when Facebook — and social networking in general — was genuinely all about reaching out to our loved ones? It was fun getting to keep up with our nearest and dearest from different parts of the globe; nowadays, though, social media has been marred by monsters like cancel culture, humble bragging, and creating illusions of perfect, aesthetically pleasing lives.

Fortunately, technology has allowed us to connect with others through many more means. There are messaging apps that allow you to directly communicate with people no matter where they are. And isn’t directly speaking to someone a lot more meaningful than doing so on a public platform? 

4. You want to lessen your digital footprint

One thing we can’t deny about social media: It’s pretty scary nowadays. All it takes is one Google search, and you can find out anything (or everything!) there is to know about somebody. If you’ve been meaning to lessen your digital footprint, deactivating your Facebook account is one way to keep a part of your personal life private — especially if you used to post a lot of things on a public profile!

Also read: Apple’s OS14.5 Update Lets You Finally Stop Apps From Tracking You

5. You don’t really post anything or interact with others through the app

Gone are the days that Facebook was one of the only ways to connect with others online. You rarely use it for meaningful and authentic interactions anymore — and wasn’t that why you opened an account in the first place? 

6. You find news and important update through other reliable sources

One of the reasons most of us still keep our Facebook accounts? It’s how we keep up to date with the local news — along with what’s happening in the entertainment world! If Facebook is your sole lifeline for these sorts of things, we totally get you. But if you can do without it and it seems to just give you unnecessary stress? All signs definitely point to deactivating your account!

7. It’s taking a toll on your mental health

Hey, you know what they say: Admitting you have a problem is the first step to solving it. 

Perhaps too much of your day is spent making sure you’ve post all your #aesthetic photos on your social profiles or stalking people’s accounts and comparing their exciting lives to yours. Or maybe you’ve become too much of a keyboard warrior and spend a lot of your time fighting fellow netizens. Maybe you’ve even replaced good old authentic human interaction with pretending you’re living your best life — and making damn sure your friends believe it. 

Keeping up this facade will no doubt get you feeling exhausted, unhappy with the life you have, and emotionally drained. If you’ve been feeling this way for quite some time, take it as a sure-fire sign that it’s about time you deactivate your Facebook account and other social media apps. Your mental health matters, and a social media detox just might do you a whole lot of good.

Also read: Mental Health Resources in the Philippines: Online and FREE!

Feeling nervous about the decision to deactivate your Facebook account? Well, if it’s any comfort, you can also choose to do so temporarily — or simply log out!

Featured image credit: mauro_grigollo via Canva Pro