Recovery from Facebook

[rodeosweetheart]

In one of the psych classes I teach, I have my students engage in an observational activity where they observe their thoughts and feelings while on 3 different sites of their choosing. I suggest Facebook as one of the sites.

Interestingly, about 85% of the students associate the feelings of "hostility" and "irritation" with Facebook, even though they report liking Facebook and looking forward to going on it.

But when they actually do go on it for the activity, they report veering into negative feelings fairly quickly, about 85% of the time. And the words they use are, with great regularity, "hostility" and "irritation."

They report being surprised by how irritated and hostile they actually feel.

Interesting.

[herbgeek]

Facebook is just a microcosm of the rest of the world, IMO. If you have a tough time setting boundaries in real life, you're likely to do the same on Facebook. If you have braggarts in your real life, you'll likely encounter them on Facebook too.

I personally like keeping in touch with folks I used to work with- I like to hear what's going on with their lives, but don't necessarily want to have lunch/dinner with them every month. I hear about common culture, so I'm aware of what's going on without watching network TV. My dad posts those "share if you have a daughter who's awesome posts, even though he would never say that to me in real life. I like people sharing pictures of their life and their families. I only have one person who boasts constantly of how important she is/how accomplished who makes me feel completely inadequate. But you know if it wasn't Facebook, it would be through some other medium.

[ApatheticNoMore]

I actually got off one year for new years or there abouts - last few weeks of the year (takes two weeks of not logging in for the account to be "permanently" deleted). It was a new years resolution of sorts (new year, no FB), not a particularly difficult one of course, not like it was "lose 10 pounds" or something, but did kind of resolve to be done with it.

[SteveinMN]

Facebook is just a microcosm of the rest of the world, IMO. If you have a tough time setting boundaries in real life, you're likely to do the same on Facebook. If you have braggarts in your real life, you'll likely encounter them on Facebook too.

This.

I buried a similar statement in my earlier post. From Facebook I have met and gotten close with [and met in real life] relatives it would have been much harder to find and keep up with outside of it. I've learned of engagements, marriages, divorces, births, deaths, new jobs, retirements, life's "wins" and life's "downers". Sure, I would have heard about many of those events at some time or another through other means, but Facebook makes it simpler and more timely and -- most times -- more direct.

If all you see on Facebook is stuff you want to scroll past, well, Facebook doesn't create this content on its own. AFAIK no one is making anyone else post Likes and Shares at gunpoint. It's being done by the family and friends you approved as Friends -- and the access you choose to not restrict through Facebook's visibility/privacy settings. Declaring Facebook a waste of time because of that carelessness (or lack of setting boundaries; I like that description) is blaming the messenger.

[awakenedsoul]

In one of the psych classes I teach, I have my students engage in an observational activity where they observe their thoughts and feelings while on 3 different sites of their choosing. I suggest Facebook as one of the sites.

Interestingly, about 85% of the students associate the feelings of "hostility" and "irritation" with Facebook, even though they report liking Facebook and looking forward to going on it.

But when they actually do go on it for the activity, they report veering into negative feelings fairly quickly, about 85% of the time. And the words they use are, with great regularity, "hostility" and "irritation."

They report being surprised by how irritated and hostile they actually feel.

Interesting.

I've noticed that with a neighbor who goes on Facebook. She's in the middle of a fight with her next door neighbor there. She seems SO ANGRY. She's always checking her phone. She's a really nice lady, too.

[Songbird]

My dear sister who is an alcoholic and has bipolar disorder was always posting confrontational and disturbing things on Facebook when she was experiencing her extreme highs and lows, despite medication. Her rantings upset me greatly on a daily basis, but I just couldn't scroll by it, I felt the need to read it all since she is my sister and I care very much about her. I and others in my family have tried to help her over and over with disappointing results... The day I closed my FB down was a very freeing day for me. I am no longer upset about my sister's behavior on a daily basis, which is very helpful to my own mental health... She knows how to reach me if she needs anything, so I definitely haven't abandoned her, but I don't have to be upset about her every day of my life now.