I’ve never unfriended anyone on Facebook
Posted by No_Ratio1493@reddit | Xennials | View on Reddit | 208 comments
After 20 years or so, why start now? Facebook is such a shitshow now, it seems pointless.
MySpace and Facebook used to be so fun and novel. Then our parents and extended families got on. Then media, then political orgs, then brands, then it spiralled to whatever the hell is happening on it now.
A clean social media slate would be nice. But, I’d probably be better off deleting it all.
I’m a musician, so I pathetically “promote” my music there. But, it’s also mixed with wife and kid stuff and just random, goofy stuff I post, which is now very rarely. It all feels so lame and awkward.
I’m not sure what my point is here. But, wtf happened!!??
srddave@reddit
Every time I speak to a friend who is still on there and dealing with some BS I am reminded why I left. I have never missed it for one minute.
effitalll@reddit
I only keep it because of industry networking groups. I built my whole business from those connections so I can’t walk away. But I’ve purged / unfollowed anyone who is announce or drama.
Ok_Percentage5157@reddit
It's not that I don't use social media, it's that Facebook is fucking shit, and always has been. Years ago I made an account, and was blasted with requests from people that I gave zero care about talking to ever again. Then the ads and the ads and the more ads... Yeesh. Deleted, never missed it.
Atillion@reddit
I stopped using it a decade ago. As a fellow musician, I've found success in growing my music in the most unlikely place for a big bearded old guy with a banjo... Fucking goddamn TikTok 😫
I don't pay for promotion there, I just post and integrate with the music community, which is really strong there. I've had a few things blow up, which prompted me to make stuff for streaming less than a year ago, and it's been wildly successful. I've had like 700k+ streams in under a year with no money spent.
Just food for thought, I never dreamed I'd be on there.
walter_grimsley@reddit
Cut out FB cold turkey in 2014 and am so glad. Stayed way too long.
Been using a lot less of IG latel, that will go away soon as well. But some stuff on there is damn funny, I hate to admit.
Konnorwolf@reddit
I was never on Facebook much. Always seemed so pointless and was more into message boards then Twitter (until it went down the drain) I have accounts yet mostly use Reddit these days as it is the closest to a message board.
punktualPorcupine@reddit
People are still on facebook? Why?
cloudydays2021@reddit
I delete people on their birthdays if I get a reminder that it’s their birthday and I can’t remember who the fuck they are.
Drilling4Oil@reddit
I never even made a Facebook account.
jackfaire@reddit
Facebook always sucked. I only use if for it's messenger function.
Hootinger@reddit
I deleted my account in June of 2020 and never looked back. There were a lot of factors why, but to be honest, the main reason is that I was about to get a promotion at work. The previous manager was fired due to making inappropriate jokes or comments.
I was told I was being promoted to fill her roll. The thing is, her husband still worked at the company and I was Facebook friends with him. Once it was announced I got his wife's job, he could easily go through the last 15 years of my Facebook history and find some dumb joke I made. He and his wife are the type of people to do that
Anyways, reddit is the only social media that I have.
happy_snowy_owl@reddit
You could just... not add coworkers to your social media?
Hootinger@reddit
I mean, yeah that would be smart. I added them early on into facebook. We are the same age, went to the same college, and had mutual friends.
TP_Crisis_2020@reddit
You can go into your settings and put restrictions on what people can see on your profile. I do this with people at work who have added me. And you should also have your profile as private and not searchable, that way the only people who can see what you post or comment on are the people on your friends list who you allow to.
It sucks to have to do this, but it's just what you have to do to curate a safe FB profile these days.
Hootinger@reddit
Thanks, much appreciated. I've found that not having an account works for me and I am much happier without it. Whenever I did something or went somewhere, I always felt pressure to take a great picture for facebook or have some witty comment to post. I dont think about that now and I can be more present. I know that isnt the case for everyone, so Im not looking down at those who maintain a social media presence, but it was for me.
happy_snowy_owl@reddit
I can get that it's definitely the 'easier' thing to do.
I rarely post on FB now mostly because of the same reputation concerns... all it takes is someone taking something benign the wrong way. We saw this hit full stride 2015-2020.
TP_Crisis_2020@reddit
Yeah, the guy I replaced at my current job had gotten in trouble for coming in drunk to work. So they sent him to rehab and he came back for a while. Then, someone from HR saw him post pictures on his FB of him out drinking. So they finally fired him.
But unfortunately that's just the world we live in now, and you have to adapt to this. I have a friend who applied to be a county sherrif, and he told me that he was going to delete his FB because they apparently monitor that closely and he didn't want to risk anything from 10+ years in the past impacting his chances for that job.
OppositeRun6503@reddit
For some reason you're desperately promoting Facebook as if you were old zuck himself trolling this group trying to gain converts back to the platform. It's almost as though you're acting like a preacher who suddenly lost his entire congregation when the congregation woke up and realized they'd been wasting their time, and lives with said preacher all along.
happy_snowy_owl@reddit
I'm not 'promoting' anything.
Facebook is a tool and it's extremely useful for what it does.
Too many people like to hate on it because it's the cool thing to do.
"Nobody goes there anymore, it's too crowded."
AYearInOaxaca@reddit
Delete it completely; you won’t miss it
Historical-Sherbet37@reddit
I deleted Facebook/Instagram 2 years ago and have zero regrets.
Asxpuntingmuppet@reddit
Yeah do it bro , best thing you’ll do , I been Facebook ( and insta ) clean for over 10 years feels Fkn amazing
OppositeRun6503@reddit
But then once clear of Facebook aka fakefok the tiktok wannabe there's still YouTube aka screwtube and just about every other social media platform currently in existence (including reddit) that are just Facebook copycats...aka wannabes.
MySpace came first but never caught on ,primarily because there wasn't anything you could really do with your profile once you created it, the Facebook, then screwtube, then Twitter aka shitter finally culminating in that god awful tiktok garbage.
bermanap@reddit
I think you may need to go take a walk or read a book or something.
No_Custard_6481@reddit
MySpace was the absolute best! So many pen pals, so many great things you could do with it. Facebook was okay at first. Now it’s just dangerous.
Hntrbdnshog@reddit
I liked it when it was mostly for young people in college trying to find the party. I think 2003-2010 it was cool. Downhill rapidly after that. I haven’t been on for anything other than marketplace since like November of 2016.
Next-Honeydew4130@reddit
7 years in… I get anxiety just getting on their for marketplace!!
TexasRN1@reddit
Same. It’s a cesspool of fakeness, ads and misinformation.
elsie78@reddit
But what do you DO with your time now! /s
TurdFerguson2OOO@reddit
Reddit
C001H4ndPuk3@reddit
I'm going on 5 years now, and my only regret is not doing it sooner.
Technically I still have an account, purely for extremely rare Marketplace use (only on my laptop, never my phone, and immediately logged out after). But I deleted nearly all my posts and only have a few innocuous (as of now very dated) pics of my family on there. It's essentially a time capsule now.
I miss Craigslist in its heyday before Marketplace essentially killed it.
Blackbird136@reddit
I still enjoy Instagram in small doses, but I’ve been off Facebook since 2013 after some family drama.
The only thing I “regret” is that I lost a few friends because that’s the only way they kept in touch with people; never one on one. Just life updates on FB. But that feels so gross that I’m not sure they were huge losses lol.
elsie78@reddit
If they don't keep in touch they aren't friends.
djayed@reddit
I got off of them all, but kept them active for the purpose of messaging that one person like, hey I was thinking about you send me your number. Then I don't have to log back in after. I don't have any apps installed on my phone though. It makes it easier not to get bored and open them up.
Mysterious_Sound2765@reddit
100% agree on deleting it, unless you ever anticipate having a reason to start a business page on FB. FB is now doing everything they can to only allow ONE account per user, per LIFETIME. Of course, so they can track us more easily and accurately. Creeps.
It's very hard to set up a business Facebook without a personal account. You basically have to set it up via someone else's personal account, have no direct access yourself, and trust them enough to not mess with your business page. I never use FB and have almost deleted mine many times over the last decade. Now I'm glad I didn't, because at least it's useful for ONE thing.
absentlyric@reddit
I wish I could, but the neighborhood page and marketplace are too useful to find local help with things like junk removal, landscaping, etc. They aren't on google search.
YourOwnPunkyBrewster@reddit
I’ve been wanting to for several years now, but I just don’t because I use FB Marketplace so much!
Jimmy_McAltPants@reddit
My neighborhood has a decently useful Facebook group, it’s the only reason I still have it. We’re moving to a new house next week, I’m excited to delete it after we move
AdComprehensive7939@reddit
Groups is literally all Facebook had that is of use. Once another app replaces that function, they hopefully will go the way of the dodo. I have been off Facebook Insta and others for a few years, and thats all I miss.
Charger2950@reddit
I genuinely would, but there’s a lot of acquaintances and extended family that I like to keep up with and sometimes talk to that I would miss dearly. This is probably why most people don’t delete it. I just wish Facebook was like how it was in 2009 or something. Fun, light, barely any corporations, no politics. It was great.
No_Ratio1493@reddit (OP)
That’s what I’m saying. I just wish it was like it used to be. On threads like this there’s always a ton of mildly grating “just delete it, bro” comments and it’s like, yes, I’m aware that’s an option, thanks.
But, where FB is often annoying, stupid, and toxic, it’s also incredibly useful and practical. That’s why it’s hard to delete.
AI_Negative_Nancy@reddit
https://youtu.be/y5btg_RfVFg?si=hjRijP7anV3tvgka
SonicDethmonkey@reddit
That’s the way. It felt so good tbh. No regrets. The people I really care about know how to reach out to me off FB, and everyone else I couldn’t care less about.
Nach0Maker@reddit
I keep it around for Marketplace. No friends on it.
happy_snowy_owl@reddit
I feel like this is a crutch for impulsive behavior and a lack of self-control.
I follow a bunch of local businesses on my Facebook, which keeps me up to date on events. Through FB I can easily find out when the next 5k is taking registration, when my kids' little league season is starting up, when there's a local band playing at a restaurant, when there's a festival in downtown, etc.
I also can find out useful info like when there's a storm about to hit the area.
One feature I wish I could use more is following favorite sports teams for highlights and news, but your feed ends up getting spammed by their content.
I also use the Facebook marketplace to buy second-hand goods. I've saved a ton of money on furniture, power tools, and exercise gear. I'm not in the market for a used car, but it's a great resource for one. I posted above that a friend of mine nabbed a free $1,500 bike that was about a year old because the owner couldn't figure out how to fix a tire.
You don't have to argue with your boomer uncle over Cheeto Jesus. You can just move on and let whatever irrational emotional response you had to his post fade away.
OppositeRun6503@reddit
Facebook is designed to keep user's, especially the coveted teenage demographic scrolling for as long as possible by playing off of the dopamine high that users get whenever they randomly land on content they find interesting.
I recently came across a video that explains why people's addiction to short from content, such as that tiktok garbage is so prevalent.
supiesonic42@reddit
Sure, keep feeding Zuck your data, completely reasonable trade off vs idk calling a company or visiting their own site if available.
bakedveldtland@reddit
I am dipping my toe back into using FB. It's great for certain things. I recently wrapped up a grad program, and lots of people in my field (wildlife conservation) use it to post jobs, new research results, and relevant news. It's also great for keeping up with news and fun events in my community. It's hard to keep clean, though, I think I need to get better at specifically telling it to not give me certain types of content.
General-Carob-6087@reddit
I really only keep it because it’s basically a photo album at this point. I sometimes go back and look at pics of old friends and events. Plus, it keeps me in touch with things in my hometown.
bgva@reddit
Same. I started saving more and more pictures to print and put in a photo album. I should get back to making that album.
OP, it takes a lot for me to defriend. Even if you’re someone I rarely - if ever - talk to, I don’t defriend and I think it’s because I’ve seen so many people’s families grow up so I feel a weird attachment even though I’m so bad with names.
As for deleting, I probably won’t because it’s the easiest way to keep in touch with people. And before someone tries to miss the point, yes I realize phones exist but I’m not enough of a phone person to go back to talking on the phone, and I don’t have the energy to start yet another social media profile. It is what it is, and to me it’s just not that serious.
OppositeRun6503@reddit
But i thought smartphones were supposed to make printed photos and physical photo albums obsolete?
NekrotismFalafel@reddit
You can download all your stuff.
Good_Air_7192@reddit
It's my obituaries board, I just log on every now and then to see if someone died.
blues_and_ribs@reddit
Yeah, mainly for this reason I don’t think I’ll ever drop FB.
ChaoticGoodMrdrHobo@reddit
I didn’t even bother deleting mine, I logged out in ‘19 and never logged back in. Eventually got around to removing the app from my phone a few years later.
lemmylemonlemming@reddit
I deleted mine but I missed buying and selling on marketplace so I made a new account with a fake name and use it only for marketplace. I don't have one Facebook friend on that account.
diablette@reddit
Too many scammers on there. If I see a listing from an account like that, I move on.
BigManWAGun@reddit
Can confirm 6 years and counting.
fighthouse@reddit
I'd love to do this, but this is where I store and share 20 years of photos, and when looking for used stuff for sale marketplace is my preferred location. If I can find a way to offload these two items, I'm there.
AYearInOaxaca@reddit
Facebook is definitely not a reliable place to store photos, they could delete all your content at a moment’s notice and you’d have no recourse. Download all your data! https://m.facebook.com/help/212802592074644?locale2=en_US
fighthouse@reddit
True, but isn't this the same with pretty much any cloud storage service?
AYearInOaxaca@reddit
I think that depends on whether you’re actually paying for the service. With a paid service there’s a legal obligation to abide by the terms of the contact
Trashusdeadeye@reddit
You can make a relatively simple account just for marketplace.
kinetic_cheese@reddit
I wish I could, I'm part of a couple organizations that do the bulk of their communications through Facebook. I hate it.
Chemical_Butterfly40@reddit
The local chapter of my alumni association only posts local events on Facebook. It’s very annoying.
Adventurer_By_Trade@reddit
If I didn't have twenty years of professional friendly contacts from around the world in there, it would be a lot easier. For now, I've deleted the FB app from my phone and only access it through the Brave Browser. It's not convenient, and that's part of the point. Facebook is a cancer.
burgundyblue@reddit
Yep. I deleted all my Meta stuff and it’s been great.
DrewBaron80@reddit
FB is the only social media account I have (besides Reddit, which is a bit different due to being anonymous) and I'd like to delete my account, but I find Marketplace to be quite useful.
amiableviking@reddit
💯
General-Carob-6087@reddit
My Facebook is still tied to my college email because I joined when it was strictly for college students. Kinda wish it had stayed that way.
TP_Crisis_2020@reddit
Yeah, same here. I think my account was created around 2005. I remember it was .edu email only at first, but then later on you could "invite" people which still kept things manageable. And then they opened registration to the public, and it's been downhill since.
AnActualSquirrel@reddit
FB is what you make it.
Years ago, I went scorched earth and unfriended all of the random acquaintances that had accumulated, as well as folks I simply no longer cared to keep in touch with. That got rid of a ton of noise.
There are a lot of special interest and hobby groups that are actually pretty useful to me. It's also the best way to keep up with some older relatives who I may lose touch with otherwise.
A properly-curated FB account still provides utility these days. Perhaps I'm in the minority, but I'm glad I didn't fully delete mine.
absentlyric@reddit
Same here, I utilize it specifically for hiring local workers through my local neighborhood group when I need a project done on the house or yard, and I can get some incredible deals on Marketplace, both things you won't find outside of Facebook anymore.
Good luck googling up "someone to remove an old dryer or a pile of rocks in the back yard" anyone that pops up is going to be a bigger business that will charge a lot.
I don't even have any friends on there. It's a tool nothing more or less.
People need accountability and stop blaming social media for their woes.
TP_Crisis_2020@reddit
Yeah that's a great point, and I use my local city groups to find laborers too. It used to be SO hard to find a handyman or just small scale labor just with google. But now, I post in my city's group "looking for someone who can come fix the soffit on my house" and I will get THIRTY businesses that reply to it.
happy_snowy_owl@reddit
I agree.
You have to take the 30 minutes or so to find some pages, local businesses / organizations, and activities that you like. From there it does a great job of keeping you 'in the know' regarding what's happening in the community. The marketplace is also a great resource for saving lots of cash on second hand goods.
If you don't do this, Facebook is going to guess your interests based on what people in your friends list engage with.
absentlyric@reddit
90% of the local businesses in my area advertise through Facebook, you won't find them on Google.
Charger2950@reddit
No you’re spot on. Same here. I just “trimmed the fat,” which was people that literally never interacted with me in any way, shape, or form, since I can remember. No likes, no birthday wishes, no comments……out!
sgrams04@reddit
I only have FB for FB marketplace.
TP_Crisis_2020@reddit
Oo yeah that's a good one, forgot about that.
Although, marketplace for me is the same as going into harbor freight.. impossible to go there without buying something. So I try to stay off of marketplace as much as I can even though I do need it occasionally.
winniecooper73@reddit
Same, it’s the new Craigslist to me
lorenzo463@reddit
Hey, I like to know that some person I met at a destination wedding 12 years ago and haven’t seen since had her baby.
babyBear83@reddit
Years ago, I unfriended literally anyone I didn’t know currently in person. I got down under 300 friends. Plenty of stupid acquaintances like that random person from a party 10 years ago were in there. There were people that wanted to friend you just to have a bigger list of “friends” on their page. It’s was ridiculous.
TP_Crisis_2020@reddit
I had quite a few of those random friends from 15+ years ago, and even though I have never even spoken to them once and can't really remember how or when we met, I have seen them post life updates for so long that I would feel bad for unfriending them. Like, one of them just bought a house.. and I'm like.. I remember when you were a 23 year old dweeb couch surfing, now look at you!
TP_Crisis_2020@reddit
I haven't actively posted anything in years. Unfortunately, there are many businesses that do the majority of their promotions on FB now. So when you learn about a new brand or company and google them, it's mainly just a link to their FB.
Key_Permission_3351@reddit
Yeah, I just went super private and then stopped using it.
Mz_Ann_Throp@reddit
I went scorched earth and deleted a ton a people I graduated with when they were bullying a former classmate for losing her husband a freak accident. (Apparently I went to school with a bunch of sociopaths.)
Like others, I just use it for marketplace and our neighborhood community updates. Otherwise, it's a shell of what it used to be.
mildlyannoyedbiscuit@reddit
Yep I quit years ago when their first scandal started coming out with Cambridge Analytica. I realized I was just wasting time reading about people I never interacted with on a weekly basis. I'd rather waste that time on Reddit interacting with people I'll never meet lol.
Terakahn@reddit
I liked Facebook when it was a clean, mostly empty site. No stupid invitations, very few ads, it was a real people connection site.
Balthierlives@reddit
20 years ago all those social media channels were fueled with venture capital and were desperate for people to sign up
But inevitably a platform either disappears or has to come up with a business model and that’s what Facebook did. Find the site through ads.
It’s nice enjoying things on someone else’s dime but VCa aren’t going to pay for it forever.
Difficult_Phase1798@reddit
I unfriended Facebook completely 7 years ago and haven't thought twice about it since.
scrotanimus@reddit
Honestly, it doesn’t matter who won the war between MySpace and Facebook, what you’re seeing is the enshittification of social media.
I don’t have the app, but I will check on my computer now and again. Deleting the app in 2020 got me out of doom scrolling stuff that wasn’t content my friends or family created.
Now? It’s godawful. 40% of the content are ads, 30% pages I never followed, and most of it consists of fake crap: AI slop that people fall for or full-on lies to generate clicks. You know how our boomer parents that fall for fake news like intentional fake reporting of celebrity deaths? It’s going to get worse, because that’s almost all of Facebook.
triggeron@reddit
I remember after the crash companies like Facebook were mocked because "how would a company like that ever make money?" Well, they clearly figured out a way.
FalseEvidence8701@reddit
I deleted my Facebook after getting hacked multiple times in one day, most likely from the same guy. I missed it for the first few weeks until I learned to adjust. Now the only value I see is marketplace, but it's not good enough for me to sign up again. I got booted from Tumblr too, but I don't know why.
poop-money@reddit
The only reason I keep it around is to access Marketplace. Other than that, I avoid it.
dudical_dude@reddit
I blocked along time friend because I couldn’t bare to see his decent into Trumpdum. I only use it for Marketplace now
mog_knight@reddit
I used to unfriend people on their birthdays.
stykface@reddit
The Social Media experiment is basically a failure at this point, I think. But I'm not deleting it, I just don't care about it anymore other than leaving it open for the one off person to get ahold of me from time to time, and to post periodic updates of me, my wife and kids, and other random things, just so a few people get somewhat of an update in our life.
_Xee@reddit
SNL might not be everyone's cup of tea, but there's wisdom here: https://youtu.be/YChioDnHxm4?is=_-4T13Q8Ym-tX-r6
Moons_of_Moons@reddit
I simply unfriended FB itself over a decade ago.
Do It!
NFL_MVP_Kevin_White@reddit
The Whopper Sacrifice was an awesome promo where you could permanently unfriend people on Facebook in exchange for a coupon for a free whopper. They even sent the sacrifices a message that you chose a whopper over their friendship. I was already disinterested in Facebook back then so it was really win-win
foozebox@reddit
I find it only good for local community stuff but ulitmately even that gets needlessly political.
Fine_Violinist5802@reddit
Bots & Boomers
absentlyric@reddit
You forgot Reddit: Bots
DrenAss@reddit
LinkedIn is bots and unemployed people
Segazorgs@reddit
I still find it useful for buying and selling on marketplace, gardening groups, sharing my gardening/landscaping pics and just seeing what my extebded family and old HS friends are up to. Plus my wife doesn't want me to delete it.
But yes there is a lot of toxic, healthy anxiety inducing rage bait which is by design. Your MAGA uncle's political posts isn't really what ruined Facebook is was $$$ that FB takes to flood the algorithm with bullshit to increase rage engagement.
V1ncentAdultman@reddit
Before I stopped using fb I would I friend people on their birthdays. Usually cause I’d get notified and realize we weren’t really froends. It was super helpful 😉
smokemirrorsunicorns@reddit
delete it and trust me you won't miss it. get the info from the family or friends you ACTUALLY care about and forget the rest
AdComprehensive7939@reddit
I deleted Meta and Twitter years ago. i do miss seeing what old friends and family are up to, but I struggled to regulate my use during the pandemic and decided its not healthy for me. Plus I don't support the surveilance state or monetization of my attention so billionaires can get richer and less ethical. I just couldn't pretend I am cool w the manipulation that folks like Zuck, Musk, Ellison and all the other funksters feel entitled to enable and profit from. They disgust me and I am disgusted that governments have allowed this. But i guess we've done a shit job scrolling and using their crap instead of voting and holding out officials accountable.
That said, I deleted many a "friend." Like that one dude who was in my friend group that I briefly dated and then he ghosted me and all my friends avoided me for months because they'd known him longer. Or the ex roommate who trashed our apartment and left me holding the bag for $1k in damages. Or the dude who started stalking all my women friends he didnt know, friending them and commenting. Or my dad who kept posting AI slop of Harris as a hyena, or Pelosi's face melting off. So, I guess I have deleted mostly dysfunctional men.
FnordRanger_5@reddit
Stop booking your face.
Affectionate_Ask_769@reddit
I feel the same about deleting as you do about unfriending. I rarely use it. Why bother? It’s my photo album
Ishvale@reddit
You're still on facebook?
xdementia@reddit
Why NOT start now?
valhallaswyrdo@reddit
I deleted one person, when I started at my current job 11 years ago one of the guys in my department sent me a friend request. I didn't know him well but figured what the hell. Like 2 weeks later one of my old army buddies sent me a screenshot with the caption "Yo why are you friends with this dude?" The SS was a DM from the guy to my buddy calling him the N word like 10 times and telling him to kill himself.
I deleted him immediately and showed the message to my HR. The guy was fired a couple of months later for similar behavior.
ArtisanalMoonlight@reddit
Enshittification happened.
OppositeRun6503@reddit
The invention of dough ray me money money money 💰 happened.
drewbaccaAWD@reddit
Facebook was good when it wasn't making any money. Then they had to find ways to monetize everything and ruined it with bots and targeted advertising/engagement.
I left in 2016. What I miss is an easy base for contacting people who aren't close friends, and keeping up with events. That's about it.
OppositeRun6503@reddit
The same thing has happened to just about every platform in existence simply because it's nothing more than a business to the greedy corporate CEOs and shareholders who run it.
I'm quite sure that reddit for example wasn't always monetized by spam advertising that users totally ignore but at some point reddit's greedy CEOs and shareholders saw what screwtube, and later Facebook were doing in terms of incessant advertising and decided to do the exact same thing.
No_Custard_6481@reddit
When people started taking Facebook as fact, I deleted it.
I wrote a whole talking shit post about my ex to my other friends on Facebook. My ex doxxed me to all of my real friends on Facebook. My new partners family read it and thought I was outing an affair online. I was like wtf? You guys take that shit personal and didn’t realize I didn’t know this persons partner had an affair. They were so mad! I was like blacklisted.
I would never. Plus we had Facebook for twenty years by then. They just got it so they didn’t realize how it works.
Now everything is on it. No thanks. Plus they use it as fact in court cases too so I’m not posting shit on there. Reddit won’t share information without a warrant. Thank God.
External-Flight-4680@reddit
Enshittification
Cory Doctorow coined the term, and described it so:
He came out with a book about it in 2025; there's a chapter devoted specifically to Facebook that takes you through exactly wtf happened, step by step.
therealpopkiller@reddit
This is the answer. It happens to everything. Tech is the greediest industry since big oil and absolutely nothing has been done to regulate it
External-Flight-4680@reddit
The timing of the book is heartbreaking. Doctorow talks about actual rules and regulations getting passed in 2023 and 2024 while the book was being written. Maybe not perfect, but certainly steps in the right direction. They were even signed into law by a president who wasn't pro-regulation but recognized that these regulations were popular with the people.
However, the book finished in 2025. Doctorow acknowledges how much progress was lost with all these rules and regulations getting tossed out.
OppositeRun6503@reddit
It's all about the addiction to the human invention of money for these greedy CEOs and shareholders. It's time to ABOLISH the concept of money in human society as a result.
The concept of money never truly replaced bartering because instead of trading things which had no practical use for items or services human society has switched to trading paper bills and metal coins in exchange for goods and services.
babyBear83@reddit
I slimmed down my Facebook at least 5-7 years ago now. I unfriended anyone I don’t know personally and just kept family mostly. I only get on there to communicate the occasional post for family and friends. I no longer scroll or interact on Facebook aside from using the messenger app for a few things. Anytime I have even glanced at a post and comment section that is outside of my circle it is completely disgusting and filled with trolls and hatefulness.
The only reason I still have my account is my out of state and out of the country friends and family use it to keep up with each other. The only other thing that it has come in handy for was local concert and local event information or links to tickets. Since we don’t really have a local magazine anymore for that, it’s kinda the only source for local events.
Longster_dude@reddit
I don’t unfriend people unless they’re actively harassing me. But to be honest, I use Facebook as more of a broadcasting platform. So I’ll share photos and articles. But I don’t spend a minute reading anyone else’s posts.
bananabastard@reddit
I use it for business, it's still invaluable to me.
I also use messenger to stay in touch with many people, it's the only contact I have for them.
demoncleaner5000@reddit
I’ve deleted and restarted mine. It’s just an ad platform like all social media at this point but I’m also a musician and it can be good for networking and that.
You just can’t take it seriously.
Listening_Stranger82@reddit
Download your data and delete. You won't miss a thing and the algorithm doesn't push people's content to their "friends" as much anymore anyway so sadly, FB won't miss you.
It's bots and Boomers now, bruh gtfo
No_Ratio1493@reddit (OP)
I’m sure I wouldn’t miss it. It’s still hard for me to shut it all down, for some reason.
space_wiener@reddit
Then just leave it. People that brag about deleting Facebook are weird. If you use keep it using it.
It still use it because it’s good for hobby groups, local news, and traffic.
Listening_Stranger82@reddit
I had a hard time, too.
I deleted my FB, IG and Twitter about 6 years ago because I really couldn't square my desire to stay in touch with the gross ethical issues of Meta, particularly re: Cambridge Analytica, etc.
The book How to do Nothing, Resisting the Attention Economy had just come out, also. So I was angry enough to delete. It was like an act of rebellion and considering we are the last generation who grew up without social media, I figured I'd just adjust to keeping in touch the old fashioned way.
And also accepting that before FB it honestly wasn't normal or natural to just...observe the lives of so many acquaintances.
Anywho, I feel ya tho.
While I don't "regret" leaving FB, so much of my town's communication is there. My kids' college parents groups are there...
Trashusdeadeye@reddit
Deactivate the account and move on.. it felt good.
northerntouch@reddit
Meta is 🗑️. But essential if you are a creative.
Primary-Strawberry-5@reddit
I got rid of FBook/Insta/Threads. Just keep messenger.
onions-make-me-cry@reddit
Facebook completely sucks now. I don't even have my own account and will log in to check it VERY RARELY under my husband's account. The only thing it's kind of good for are groups.
P-a-n-a-m-a-m-a@reddit
I purged my friends list when I had kids.
If I wouldn’t likely say “hi” to a person in passing on the street, are they really friends who need to see my personal posts?
Beyond that, I really dislike FB. I deleted the app and seldom used my account beyond marketplace. Now, Messenger Kids is how my children connect with friends I’ve approved for them and to be able to manage Messenger Kids, you need the Facebook app (if you aren’t on a PC often). My kids don’t have phones yet but they have laptops we manage.
SilverAsparagus2985@reddit
I deleted FB completely last year. I hadn’t been on there in several years prior to that. It’s actually a horrible place and has been since prior to 2020 but got really bad during that time. I was working a side business using FB for advertising and I hated being on there then. Especially when everyone was at home with nothing but access to the internet. Great for an online business l—terrible for everyone’s mental health including my own. The horrible ish people were saying. I cannot fathom that level of hatred and misery on a daily basis. After everyone started returning to work by the end of 2021, I burned out and left FB completely. I had one friend I kept it for and when that relationship fizzled, so did both fb and IG. It’s does nothing and has done nothing but perpetuate vitriol.
BritOnTheRocks@reddit
Facebook kept updating the algorithm to improve engagement. Unfortunately “engagement“ often meanst hate-posting and arguing, so it quickly devolved into a shit show. I‘m surprised anybody is still using it.
OppositeRun6503@reddit
Platform's such as Facebook and screwtube have found that rage bait content draws more traffic, which means more dough ray me money money money in terms of advertising revenue for the B platform's greedy CEOs and shareholders.
Same-Manufacturer773@reddit
When all the epst stuff was coming out, the first thing on my feed was about rape. Def felt like it was aggressive on purpose. Sick sick sick.
Automatonalist@reddit
Also a musician and do halfassed promotion on FB & Instagram, but barely use it otherwise, aside from marketplace.
I thought it was cool when everybody was suddenly on FB, years ago. Yeah there was drama, but nobody has to engage. Then yeah, the overwhelming advertising/random 'content' took over. Shit show.
The algorithm is just such a mess lately, I barely open the app anymore. But I've never felt strongly about deleting it. As someone with a terrible memory, I like scrolling back and remembering what I was up to 15 years ago.
Notredamus1@reddit
Maybe I'm weird but I still enjoy Facebook. Not so much for connecting with family and friends. But for all the different groups and fan pages.
mtron32@reddit
My last post was right before the George Floyd murder in 2020. After that, everyone was showing their asses and I never posted again. I don’t think we REALLY need to know what each person in our lives thinks about every little thing
Possible-Tangelo9344@reddit
I deleted my FB years ago, then got an Oculus and had to have an account for that. Apparently now FB allows you to use the Oculus without an account. But I still have one linked. I've got one friend (my wife), but never use it. I open it occasionally to search stuff on marketplace and I'll see I've gotten like 30 friend requests six months ago but I just go about my day
eblade23@reddit
Facebook has become an AI slop outlet. That said, I frequently visit solely for the marketplace. I've sold and bought things off at a great deal.
edwardturnerlives@reddit
Im surprised ANYONE is on it anymore other than Trumpies.
ArchSchnitz@reddit
I need it to coordinate with exactly two of my activity groups, or I'd be off that shitshow for good.
Instagram, though, at least its algo has me pegged as susceptible to cleavage. One positive from the other shit.
genesimmonstongue415@reddit
I don't understand this mentality. Over 500 "friends" including someone you were at a party with in 2004 who you didn't even know then. Also: I don't understand Public profiles. 🤯
Imagine saying the sentence aloud "I have over 500 friends."
I have 53 IG friends... & THAT feels inflated. IRL I know I have about 10.
( I too, am in an unpopular local band. )
No_Ratio1493@reddit (OP)
It’s not that I actually consider them all friends. At this point, it would just be tedious to go through picking and choosing who stays and goes. I don’t care enough about it to bother with it.
genesimmonstongue415@reddit
I understand. We are different. I like privacy & think it's nuts to have 500+ people see my old photos.
Dry_Inspection_4583@reddit
I've not been on the book of faces for over a decade.
iRedFive@reddit
The only reason I keep it is because I’m an active musician and people still look to contact that way. Got into a couple new bands this year because of Facebook. I hate that I have to keep it for that, but other than that and wife’s posts, I don’t use it anymore and delete people I used to know whenever I figure if they haven’t contacted me, and I have no desire to contact them, why keep them around.
PJL80@reddit
Clip whatever you can. Save some things out, and make a last ditch effort to wrangle alternative ways to catch up with people. Or just leave it for the promotion and random stuff and don't think about it otherwise.
Mine is still there, mostly for Facebook Marketplace and the community Buy/Sell or Buy Nothing groups. I've picked up a bunch of kids toys that way, passed other things onto the community rather than giving them to Goodwill to sell.
I killed off Twitter long ago though, that one needs to perish.
Knight_thrasher@reddit
My ex tried to contact me once through FB messenger, I just ignored it and deleted the apps
JamesMattDillon@reddit
I still have mine, I purged my list and now only have friends that i talk too and close family.
What I need to do, is cut down on the groups and pages I follow.
Longjumping-Bell-762@reddit
I deleted mine long ago. Every so often I wish I kept it since so many family members only post there to update people, but 99% of the time I don't miss it at all.
I remember when it was new and fun. When the most annoying thing was Farmville updates and if you had no plans on weekend nights the place was a ghost town.
While I agree with you OP on what the downfall has been I also think that smart phones and apps really marked a change as well.
Before you could rarely access social media while out and about. You had to pay extra through your phone's carrier to do so. Because of this people used social media to catch others up on what they did after they did it. Now people are sharing their lives in real time more and more and now social media and the real world have become so entwined with one another.
What bums me out currently is Instagram. Ever since Meta bought it its turned from a fun creative platform to Facebook 2.0.
happy_snowy_owl@reddit
Instagram is still the app intended to share photos and updates with friends. The problem is that its functionality was incorporated into messaging apps. There's no reason to post on instagram when you can send a filtered foto to the exact 3 people you want to see it on WhatsApp or iMessage.
darthduder666@reddit
The day I unfriended someone in 2020 because of bullshit drama he was creating with my family was the day I deactivated. I haven’t looked back.
phase12@reddit
You can disable the account- thats what I did early 2022. You can keep messenger. Try out disabling it for like a week and see how you feel!
I miss out on a few things, but I just have my husband update me.
I think there's also a "friend only" button to just see your friends post and not a zillion ads, memes and groups.
djsynrgy@reddit
I have.
I didn't/don't need additional sources of stress; I don't like being gaslit; I didn't enjoy seeing things like "[my friend] likes "Feminism Is Evil"; want to join," etc.
For (what's left of) my mental health, dead weight's gotta go. Not sorry. 🤷🏼♂️
ntrpik@reddit
I don’t post pics of my kids on social media.
Trashusdeadeye@reddit
I deactivated my Facebook account after seeing people I knew cheer the deaths of fellow citizens in the streets. It was time, the place and people I grew up with are mostly gone. It was time to stop pretending they still existed.
DickBurns01@reddit
I've never friended anyone on Facebook
birdsword@reddit
Probably one of the few that has literally never signed up for facebook. Occasional google search for a business will direct me there but I refuse to make an account just to view a page.
Alwayshigh001@reddit
I deleted Facebook in 2018 , never had insta or tiktok ..only reddit and youtube
deathbyjohnson@reddit
FB is quite different now. I removed the app from my phone b/c it destroys battery life and spies on you. Constant political messaging and stupid ai reels are also big complaints.
Mick_Limerick@reddit
You're posting your music on there and Zuck is using it to train his ai
Sirnando138@reddit
I guess I have by closing my account 10 years ago
Foulwinde@reddit
I deleted it completely and the only thing I missed was marketplace.
New profile with a different name and no friends. Perfect.
--Citation-Needed--@reddit
It’s called enshittification. It seems to happen to everything eventually. Especially anything on the internet. It’s quite sad.
edasto42@reddit
About 5 years ago I muted almost everyone on my contact list. Now, I only use it for marketing purposes these days.
crazyk4952@reddit
I’ve never joined Facebook. Why start now?
tap2mana_03@reddit
Pulled the plug in 2014 and never regretted it
HereWeFuckingGooo@reddit
I don't ever recall a time when MySpace or Facebook were fun.
Mudcreek47@reddit
It was always lame and awkward.
I was on FB in grad school and early working years 07-10 roughly. Mainly I used it to keep up with school teammates and network.
Got real tired of the snark and "ho hum. I had pancakes for breakfast" from random relatives and just dropped it completely. Didn't need the hassle. Never regretted it for a second.
The only social media I use is LinkedIn (and that is super rarely. I only go on it a few times a year basically) and reddit of course to stay up on current events.
RolandMT32@reddit
What issue do you have with your parents and extended family being on Facebook? Isn't the point of Facebook to be able to keep in touch with friends & family? And I don't really know what you mean about spiraling into a hell; I've been using Facebook since 2008, and to me, Facebook seems about the same as it always has been.
phoenix0r@reddit
An old “memory” came up on my FB the other day. It was a group photo from 2012 with about 12 people in it. Of the 12, only 7 were still on FB. And maybe only 3 were actually still active. FB definitely feels basically dead, except for our grandparents and a few random power users that mostly cross post to Instagram anyway.
happy_snowy_owl@reddit
Facebook is more popular than ever before:
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/4/facebook-turns-20-how-the-social-media-giant-grew-to-3-billion-users
People just aren't using it the same way today as they used in in 2009. And that's intentional by Zuck.
Adventurer_By_Trade@reddit
How many of those "users" are human?
happy_snowy_owl@reddit
The vast majority of them.
People are erroneously judging facebook's popularity by how much they interact with their friends list, when the vast majority of users spend a few minutes doom scrolling some reels and using the platform to check if there's any interesting current events in the world.
OscarDivine@reddit
The overwhelming majority of it now is businesses circle jerking each other
happy_snowy_owl@reddit
It is not.
And since you mentioned that, one extremely popular feature of FB right now is the FB marketplace for buying and selling second-hand goods. It kind of displaced a good chunk of Craigslist, which is a minefield of sketchy people.
OscarDivine@reddit
You sure they’re “people”?
OscarDivine@reddit
All I see is businesses, influencers, influencer wannabes, and advertisements. If I look at my “friends only” the posts are few and far between, mostly several days past.
Adventurer_By_Trade@reddit
I wish it was still possible to make the Friends Feed the default. The user experience sucks, and nobody likes it.
OscarDivine@reddit
At least on mobile it’s just a selection on the bottom row. For now.
Same-Manufacturer773@reddit
I deleted the app. I’ve popped in a few times and run screaming. It was making me hate my community. I miss seeing updates. But barely anyone has reached out. Lol my presence on there is not missed. Just a weird thing that we’ve been addicted to for almost two decades. Fuck zuck and all that meta mess.
What search engine are folks using? It’s damn near impossible to get away from Google.
odysseyredalert@reddit
Around 10 years ago I used a browser extension that went through and unfollowed everyone in my friend list. Now I only see content from hobby groups I've joined, it's great. But I cant get rid of it completely because I love marketplace. If marketplace could be a separate app I would never use regular Facebook.
YogurtclosetDull2380@reddit
I just deleted mine altogether... But then I made a new account, with no friends or likes, because I need that marketplace
TrustAffectionate966@reddit
I wouldn't know. I was banned from that cockshitmobile back in early 2006. I never went back.
🧉🦄
Geechie-Don@reddit
Ain’t been on fake-book since 2008 and I’ve never been on many others. I do YT and reddit.
fumbler00ski@reddit
You're still on FB?
ConnectKale@reddit
About two months ago I left facebook. Then I had to get a new phone and didnt download instagram.
Just Yesterday I was complaining that too many websites assume visitors are following the brand/event on Social Media. Websites aren’t updated with new content.
SignificantApricot69@reddit
I use it for work and to make a living so I personally can’t get with the “delete social media” stuff. It’s almost like saying in the 80s or 90s to get your business removed from the phone book. But I get it.
As far as unfriending. I think it I did it once when someone from HS wouldn’t stop with constant extreme political posts .
Great68@reddit
Never joined Facebook to this day. The idea of posting my life to the Internet never appealed to me. I communicate directly with all the important people in my life.
My younger sister by 9 years.has it, and it seems like is an online "Look at MEEE" attention whoring contest between the people she has on there.
DrewBaron80@reddit
I don't think everyone's parents and extended families getting on FB was the problem. For me I stopped using it (besides Marketplace) when it turned into a wall of advertisements. Years ago, as I was using it less and less, I counted the number of ads vs posts from actual people and it was like 10 ads for every 1 post I might have wanted to see.
dancetildawn94@reddit
I used to have Facebook but I never subscribed to the idea of connecting with everyone I’ve ever known in my life. I am WAY too private for that and can’t believe how many people willingly bought into that idea!
SeekingNoTruth@reddit
Neither have I, but I had a Facebook account for a total of about 2 weeks about ten years ago.
Knew very quickly it wasn't for me and haven't felt the least bit tempted to return.
The amount of drama started by Facebook posts within my friends and family is ridiculous.
It's nice not having to get involved because I have no idea what they're talking about.
PitMaster918@reddit
I scroll it but rarely post. I like marketplace more than anything else.
I often wonder who I know some of the people who I’m “friends” with. Some random person I probably met somewhere in the 00’s and have no memory of when I was a party go-er.
Those were some good days though.
theMightBoop@reddit
I have Facebook just to follow people like OP and clubs and stores. It’s the only way I get updates on some things or I would get rid of it completely.
For example, my local Warhammer store posts if they are closed or having an event. Stuff like that.
I have 1 friend, my wife. I don’t interact with people or posts. And I check it about once a week for that.
doktorhladnjak@reddit
I unfriended them all by deleting my account circa 2017. No regrets. The choice only gets better over time.
Jonestown_Juice@reddit
I deleted Facebook in 2016 (guess why). I don't miss it.
59apache01@reddit
I never had a Facebook account. I was initially interested in Myspace when it first came out, but it turned into unnecessary drama fast. Deleted my account in 2005 and haven't used that flavor of social media since,
CubicleHermit@reddit
I check in with Facebook every couple of months. I deleted the app years ago and only sign in on desktop.
an_inverse@reddit
Delete Facebook and realize this (Reddit) is all the social network you need 🤣
Clear_Tangerine5110@reddit
Oof...these comments are sounding a bit boomerish. "These kids and these newfangled gadgets and social whats-its. Why I oughta!"
Dry-Astronaut-8640@reddit
I’ve never friended anyone on facebook…
It always sounded too much work to me, following people, liking them, commenting, etcetera
happy_snowy_owl@reddit
Re-watch the movie Superbad and listen to how they make fun of Facebook. It was getting stale and there's not a lot of money in free users posting banal things like "so tired after I vacuumed for the first time in a week!"
Zuck wanted to make Facebook the 'gateway to the internet', and in doing so was basically competing with Google. In order to do that, the platform had to deliver search results to the user without the user actively having to look for content. It's a passive interaction.
This model had monetary potential because commercial entities would pay for accounts and the algorithm would prioritize engaging content.
As another added function, Facebook wanted to be the platform people used to advertise and organize group events. This was (infuriatingly) in vogue circa 2010-2016 or so, where people who didn't have Facebook just wouldn't get the group invite to the baby shower.
Then over time TikTok hit the streets and Meta realized that 'shorts' and 'reels' keep people engaged and glued to the platform. More commercial $$$.
Fast forward and that's the Facebook that we have today. It still can be used to post uninteresting daily updates, but it gets lost in a sea reels and ads. Commercial entities still use it to advertise major events, but people no longer use the platform to organize non-commercial events.
CMarlowe@reddit
Best decisions in my life.
Marrying my wife.
Quitting drinking.
Quitting Facebook ten years ago and Twitter about five. I still have Insta, but I don't really personally participate in it. It's there for the food and thirst pics.