Facebook, once a day
Posted by pravragita@reddit | Xennials | View on Reddit | 61 comments
As part of my daily decrease, I go on Facebook once a day. I check "birthdays" to unfriend people who I don't remember. I check "memories" to delete old posts.
"I have no routines or personal history. One day I found out that they were no longer necessary for me and, like drinking, I dropped them. One must have the desire to drop them and then one must proceed harmoniously to chop them off, little by little. If you have no personal history, no explanations are needed; nobody is angry or disillusioned with your acts. And above all no one pins you down with their thoughts. It is best to erase all personal history because that makes us free from the encumbering thoughts of other people. I have, little by little, created a fog around me and my life. And now nobody knows for sure who I am or what I do. Not even I. How can I know who I am, when I am all this?"
Carlos Castaneda, Journey to Ixtlan: The Lessons of Don Juan
SilverAsparagus2985@reddit
Let me know when you delete your profile, from both fb and messenger, and then delete IG.
I have been so happy without meta, it’s unreal. I really enjoy keeping in contact with my small circle of friends versus a wider audience anyway.
BugEquivalents@reddit
I deleted FB in 2022 but still check IG a few times a year. I should just delete it at this point bc it’s basically all ads.
SewistDoc46@reddit
I deleted everything in November of 2024. It was so toxic and overwhelming. Only use YouTube and Reddit now.
Sensitive_Pianist777@reddit
What moron jerk lol he can die and go to hell .
Fickle_Wrangler_7439@reddit
I haven't used FB in 15 years. I don't even remember why I dropped off.
I don't have any personal social media anymore. Just anonymous stuff like Reddit and feeds I subscribe to.
thrakkerzog@reddit
I unfollowed everyone and look at what's going on once every few weeks. Unfortunately sometimes the only way to get information about the local school is through some sort of Meta service. My youngest is wrapping up highschool and I won't need to worry about the local school district.
When you unfollow everyone, FB really doesn't know what to show you. I assume that this is similar to what a new account with no friends would be like and it's terrifying. They throw extreme viewpoints at you to try to figure out what drives the most engagement. There's thirst traps, mountains of AI bullshit, and blatant misinformation.
For a while it was intent on showing me photos of mothers nursing babies. I marked the content as "I'm not interested in this" and blocked, but they just kept forcing it. And before anyone says "Oh, it's based on your search history" can assure you that it is not. I use Firefox and the Facebook container to avoid FB from tracking activities outside of their website, and while I'm totally accepting and tolerant of mothers nursing their babies, it's definitely not something that I would seek out.
I'm aware of what Meta is doing and I can ignore it and eventually delete my account. But Grandpa? He's being thrown into the meat grinder.
ZaphodBeeblebrahx@reddit
I moved pretty far away from where I grew up about 15 years ago and felt like most of the people I knew wouldn’t notice. I was right.
Then the following birthday after I moved I got all these FB happy birthday messages and they were all from people who didn’t know where I was, or had even talked to since high school. I was really disillusioned by the act of all these people who I barely knew robotically sending me a happy birthday that I just deleted the app that day.
My attitude since then has always been that if anyone wants to share something with me, they can text me or call me or come visit. If they don’t know how to text or call or visit me, they’ll either figure it out if it’s important to them or they won’t and I’ll know where I stand. Same in the reverse. If I don’t have your contact info outside of Facebook, you just aren’t that important to me.
It’s been 15 years and now one of the most touching things that lets me know someone cares about me is when they text me and say “hey I posted this to FB but I know you won’t see it so here it is”
Family? Group text. Friends? Group text.
_OptimistPrime_@reddit
Around 2021 a friend of mine reduced her friends to one or two and she kept it for school parent groups and marketplace. She said "a virtual relationship is not a relationship" and that has always stuck with me. There are arguments to that philosophy, like gaming friends, etc, but it stayed with me. I have FB but I don't use it for people. I try my best to have "real" relationships with my friends.
CarnivalColors@reddit
I deactivated Facebook in February and removed the Instagram app at the same time. It was really messing with my mental health because any comment strings on virtually any post seemed to lead to arguments- such negativity! Additionally it became clear that my friendships had greatly been reduced to sharing memes rather than meaningful interaction. It’s been sobering how few people have noticed/cared that I’m not on anymore. Kinda makes me feel like I was brainwashed all those years. Reddit is all I use now.
ZaphodBeeblebrahx@reddit
For me, in order for it to feel real, i had to delete my account and simply be able to say no.
FoppyRETURNS@reddit
It's crazy how quickly you vanish when you leave FB. No one, including everyone who claimed to love my kids, even asked about me.
If someone wants to reach me they have my phone number!
gullyfoyle777@reddit
I got rid of FB for a year or two. I used to be really active on it but it's gotten really gross. I hardly went on it in the past few years. Now I'm back on there but only so I have contact with my sister. I don't "browse" or anything. I check messages and then I'm out. I don't use twitter (X) anymore. I tried using blue sky but I just don't care enough. Now I'm on reddit, that's it. Do I have a reddit addiction.... maybe lol.
endtheme@reddit
I had Myspace and only for online friends. I never made the jump to Facebook or other social networks.
Why not just delete it entirely and be done with it?
katiw46@reddit
I've been Facebook-less since January of 2025. I ditched it along with Instagram and TikTok. It was weird at first, but now it's wonderful! The only thing I miss is the hyper-local groups on Facebook.
Background-Manager87@reddit
I deleted my Facebook after noticing a trend of never talking to people on there. That plus how the app has become a complete dumpster fire usually keeps me from even opening the web page. Only exception is family sending a dumb video
orangina_it_burns@reddit
Good quote there. That book is also the source of Yoda’s description of tThe Force
cheerful_cynic@reddit
Except I recently found out that Castaneda admitted that all his mystic ""yaqui indian"" spirit travel mentoring is entirely made up bullshit. I forget how it came about but I remember thinking that's fine, just one more flavor of cosmic woowoo to disregard
orangina_it_burns@reddit
“Except”?? It always was !
Read about his crazy cult, it’s intense
Mihndee@reddit
Facebook deleted my account for no reason. All my pictures and life events gone. All my “what if they want to see how good I’m doing now” unfriended friends gone. I’ve never felt more free. It was the best thing for me.
Miz_momo82@reddit
I turned off all app notifications in 2020 and never looked back. I've deleted short cuts, moving toward deleting the fbapp and only checking on desktop. I only check it once or twice a day and have a time limit set
IloveMe80@reddit
I left that place in 2016. Never been sorry about it at all. Don’t go on insta anymore either.
flinkazoid@reddit
There was a script called unfollow everything that was written about 5-6 years ago. You’d run it and it would literally do exactly what it was named to your profile. This was before FB really forced garbage into your feed, so your feed would essentially be empty after this. You’d then go back and follow only the groups people you wanted. Was epic. FB banned the dude that wrote it.
Fast forward 5 years and FB now populates your feed with more “suggested” posts and ads than actual followed content.
I deleted my data and account about a month ago. Was so liberating.
LakeExtreme7444@reddit
The only reason I keep my fb account open these days is because I find things my little brother commented on or shared with me in my memories. I take a quick look at that and move on with my day. He passed away three years ago at 38, so I try to screenshot and save everything I can from him. It’s like I still have a little piece of him here with me still.
Jonestown_Juice@reddit
I can't believe you guys kept your Facebook accounts after that Cambridge Analytica nonsense. Meta is a fucking evil company. Delete your Facebook and Instagram.
Neither-Mycologist77@reddit
Unfortunately, several of my kid's activities organize and communicate solely through Facebook. If that weren't the case, I would have deactivated my account several years ago. I log in max of once a day, catch up on my notifications, and leave.
I really like the idea of purging "memories" to delete the old posts at a steady and sustainable rate.
Jenaaaaaay@reddit
This is it for me. The school also communicates events and early dismissals/delays via Facebook. It’s maddening.
SaquonB26@reddit
Dropped FB last April and don’t miss it one bit.
wiserTyou@reddit
I log in once a week to see what bands are playing at my local watering holes. Never really saw the appeal of it.
Eziekiel23_20@reddit
I tried it a bit around 2009 but quickly felt like it was for narcissists and attention seekers. Luckily never put much of my own stuff out there. I still have the acct for general access if needed.
the_ballmer_peak@reddit
I nuked Facebook 6 years ago and have never regretted it.
Automatic-Raspberry3@reddit
I have a marketplace addiction. And I have a business page. Try not to do much on my regular page and never read comments.
midlifeShorty@reddit
I find it veryuseful for local nitch gardening groups, following bands, and following local restaurants/businesses. There have been a lot of concerts and local festivals that I only found out about because of Facebook. I don't know how I would find out about these things without it.
Fortunately, I have managed to curate my feed so I only get posts about gardening, food, music, hiking, and cute cats. I see worse things on reddit than Facebook lately.
ladyliferules@reddit
My FB and IG are both deactivated. Sometimes I delete Reddit, too.
heavyLevy5@reddit
Facebook became more and more hateful as time went on. I noticed it was intentionally showing me things that were the opposite of my politics to get me arguing in the comments. It raised my blood pressure and damaged my mental health. I switched to reddit because it has the option to turn off suggested posts. I only see things from subs I choose now.
FoppyRETURNS@reddit
Reddit did the same thing. I nuked the account and just stick to hobbies on reddit. Life's good.
heavyLevy5@reddit
Yeah but Reddit has a setting to prevent it, Facebook didn’t
thematrixhasyoum8@reddit
I deleted my account about 3 or 4 month ago. It had deteriorated into absolute garbage and a shit ton of racism. Ive not looked back since. My online presence is now just here and bluesky
DickBurns01@reddit
Never had it, never needed it and never wanted it
K2sX@reddit
The people I need to stay in touch with know how to reach me in other ways. Facebook has been fully gone since the last election. Prior to it was always deactivated unless I needed to find local event or something. I HATE that find things like craft fairs is nearly impossible without it.
After_Match_5165@reddit
I only keep mine to keep track of my long distance mom's activity and to get (and get rid of) stuff on Buy Nothing. I haven't posted, liked, or commented in ages but I do lurk still for a couple minutes when I open it. That's a habit I'd like to get rid of.
three-sense@reddit
I keep my FB open with about 40 contacts, all of which I’ve talked to in person in the past 18 months. I travel throughout the year and post pics once a month or so. No clicking anything else. It seems to work ok for that
shiftdown@reddit
FB messenger is how all my siblings and extended family communicate, mostly with group chats.
Sensitive_Pianist777@reddit
This belongs in the millennial sub
FoppyRETURNS@reddit
Considering old people dominate FB, maybe not. 💀
pravragita@reddit (OP)
Kwel, I'll x-post for more updootz!
FoppyRETURNS@reddit
Why go to Facebook once a day when you can decrease that number. 🙃
In all seriousness this is a very healthy step!
OnlySezBeautiful@reddit
I missed that boat. Never had an account. Used to be able to look at restaurant menus if no website exists but not any more.
body_by_monsanto@reddit
The way I was able to separate myself from FB was to delete the app from my phone and only log in through the web version. I also didn’t let my phone or computer remember the password, so I had to very intentionally log in each time.
DasKittySmoosh@reddit
I do this and the only real reason I keep it at all is for my local Buy Nothing group, because the BN app is atrocious
roycedutch@reddit
I did like you said long before I officially deleted my account. The death knell for me with Facebook was the fact that I only logged on once every 3-4 months to check if anyone I knew died. Which happened several times in a row…what a rough patch that was.
I finally was tired of even thinking about logging in and looked up how to delete the damned thing for good. Haven’t missed it at all.
body_by_monsanto@reddit
I keep it because I have such a massive extended family, and it’s really the only way to keep track of what’s happening with family events. I only log in about twice a year just to check things out, or to get details about an event. Once I get the info I’m looking for, I log back out again and that’s it. I have posted maybe 5 times since 2018 and it feels great to not be tied to social media. I also have instagram and only use it for 2 things. 1: engaging with my brother’s business posts to help him make money. 2: making appointments with businesses who don’t have any other way.
roycedutch@reddit
All of that makes perfect sense to me. And, obviously, as long as it works for you, then that’s a good thing.
For me, it was just this silly app that took my time/attention away for more important things. So it didn’t really bother me to delete it. The only social media I have now is this app and YouTube.
Thanks for sharing. Have a great one!
strongerlynn@reddit
I only have it because of the groups, I'm in but I have just about unfollowed everyone. And no one has noticed. Eventually I will probably delete my account.
18randomcharacters@reddit
I have always been tempted to use the Birthdays reminders as tool to find people to unfriend.
Like, if your birthday comes up and I don't care, I should unfriend you.
However... it's always felt a little too cold to unfriend people on their birthday.
shiftdown@reddit
Until the majority of communities I'm active in moves somewhere else, I'm stuck with FB. I'd probably lose 75% of my social activities if I wasn't in those groups. Also, FB marketplace is the new craigslist which I buy and sell from as often as Amazon.
vulgarvinyasa2@reddit
I use it for marketplace where I live but haven’t posted in years
Sensitive_Pianist777@reddit
I live in a city where marketplace is very active. Yes my spouse and I make decent income but the way we were raised, consider used first is still our way.
skywalkerRCP@reddit
4 years ago I just deleted my data and account. Instagram, Twitter, gone.
fuzzydice82@reddit
I had a personal policy to block any Facebook friends who posted two or more political comments in a week. (You were allowed one. But two was too far.)
This was back in 2006 - 2008. (Yes, people were posting idiotic political commentary on Facebook before 2016.)
By 2016, when everyone was calling Facebook a "cesspool" or whatever, I was living quite an enjoyable life on Facebook with over 300 people already blocked from my Feed. I never saw any political discourse on Facebook.
I also instantly blocked anyone who got into MLMs or selling Insurance.
The thing that got me to just stop checking Facebook altogether was realizing that none of my real-life friends or acquaintances were actually funny, insightful, or entertaining.
They were just posting regular mundane things that happened in their life.
For people I didn't talk to anymore, I just didn't care about what they were doing. For friends and family that I was in regular contact with, I already knew about the things they were posting about, so I didn't need a reminder.
At this point, I check Facebook about once every 3 or 4 months when I'm checking to get bicycle parts or electronics on Facebook Marketplace, and I remember that there's a social media function on the Feed.
elphaba00@reddit
I pretty much only keep my FB account active for Messenger, which they seem to be slowly chipping away at. I made my profile picture as non-descript as possible. I'm down to making a post a couple days a month. I don't wish people "happy birthday" anymore. I took down my birthday from FB, so unless someone knows me, I won't get random messages from people I haven't heard from all year.
jtho78@reddit
You can export your friend’s birthdays to a google calendar