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I stopped using Facebook and Twitter. Same as majority of people who did the same, I report being happier and more productive.

mdorazio 8y ago
Did you also stop using all Facebook products (Instagram and WhatsApp)? Many of the people I know who are proud of quitting Facebook are happily snapping pictures daily for Instagram or chatting regularly on WhatsApp.
- moate 8y ago
  They're different use-cases and segments. I'm not on Facebook because I don't need racist screeds from friends of friends (or sometimes soon-to-be-former friends). I am on Instagram because I like dank memes and pictures of food. I'm not trying to stick it to the man, I'm just valuing a different type of content and enjoying the different medium more.
- j45 8y ago
  Whatsapp serves a different purpose (chat) than Fb/Insta. Potentially viable alternatives (Telegram, Signal, etc) are emerging for Whatsapp compared to none for the other two.
- _Codemonkeyism 8y ago
  Quit Facebook two years ago, not using Instagram, using WhatsApp because my mom doesn't use Signal.
- kozikow 8y ago
  I deleted messenger, Instagram and app, but not WhatsApp. Sadly it's not replaceable yet :(.
  - Rjevski 8y ago
    Why not replaceable? iMessage seems like a perfect replacement. Edit: for Android devices, Signal is just as easy to use as WhatsApp.
    - CurrentB 8y ago
      Only if 100% of your contacts use iPhones.
    - kozikow 8y ago
      Not replaceable in a sense that there are some people that are only reachable over WhatsApp and Messenger.
    - krageon 8y ago
      Signal is far more annoying to use and is less consistent about notifications. Accordingly, most people are hard to motivate into switching (or installing yet another messaging app).
  - thrower123 8y ago
    Messenger is so much better than the default SMS app on my Android device that I can't get rid of it. I don't know if it's just US Cellular crapware, Samsung crapware, or Android core crapware, but the system default is garbage.
- intopieces 8y ago
  >Many of the people I know who are proud of quitting Facebook are happily snapping pictures daily for Instagram or chatting regularly on WhatsApp. If you are implying (through the use of "proud of x, [but] happily doing y") that this is some sort of contradiction, I challenge that implication. WhatsApp and Insta are entirely different products by the same company, which scratch different itches. Not everyone changes their social media habits based on a perception of moral failing by the company that purveys those services -- that appears to be something rather unique to a subset of individuals. Some people just want to be happier.
ravenstine 8y ago
I've noticed a significant dropoff in activity on Facebook. Not that I use it much either, but I might check it once every day or every other day, and I keep seeing lots of old stuff in my feed. Now it's gotten to the point where I keep seeing "There are no more posts to show" or some such message when I get to the bottom of the page, which is sight to see for sure. That site is truly dying, at least in my realm of it. In the meantime, I've made it my job to gradually unlike and unfriend nearly everything, which has been made much easier and apparent by the fact that Facebook now shows what other things people have in common with you. (too little too late, mark)
tomjen3 8y ago
I stopped browsing general news, unless somebody alerts me to something important. I find that it makes me slightly less annoyed with the world, not sure I am more happy or productive. But for Twitter and Facebook I found that as long as I unfollow people, mute certain words and otherwise weed out the garden, I am more relaxed, more informed about people I do care about, and I get to see more cool stuff.
RandallBrown 8y ago
Since quitting, do you have any insight into what was making you unhappy about using them? I ask because I've never felt that social media has made me unhappy (beyond some "FOMO" from seeing cool stuff my friends are doing.)
- trophycase 8y ago
  Moreso than FOMO, I've found that the stimulation addiction loops one gets into are the worst part.

mdorazio 8y ago

Did you also stop using all Facebook products (Instagram and WhatsApp)? Many of the people I know who are proud of quitting Facebook are happily snapping pictures daily for Instagram or chatting regularly on WhatsApp.

moate 8y ago
They're different use-cases and segments. I'm not on Facebook because I don't need racist screeds from friends of friends (or sometimes soon-to-be-former friends). I am on Instagram because I like dank memes and pictures of food. I'm not trying to stick it to the man, I'm just valuing a different type of content and enjoying the different medium more.
j45 8y ago
Whatsapp serves a different purpose (chat) than Fb/Insta. Potentially viable alternatives (Telegram, Signal, etc) are emerging for Whatsapp compared to none for the other two.
_Codemonkeyism 8y ago
Quit Facebook two years ago, not using Instagram, using WhatsApp because my mom doesn't use Signal.
kozikow 8y ago
I deleted messenger, Instagram and app, but not WhatsApp. Sadly it's not replaceable yet :(.
- Rjevski 8y ago
  Why not replaceable? iMessage seems like a perfect replacement. Edit: for Android devices, Signal is just as easy to use as WhatsApp.
  - CurrentB 8y ago
    Only if 100% of your contacts use iPhones.
  - kozikow 8y ago
    Not replaceable in a sense that there are some people that are only reachable over WhatsApp and Messenger.
  - krageon 8y ago
    Signal is far more annoying to use and is less consistent about notifications. Accordingly, most people are hard to motivate into switching (or installing yet another messaging app).
- thrower123 8y ago
  Messenger is so much better than the default SMS app on my Android device that I can't get rid of it. I don't know if it's just US Cellular crapware, Samsung crapware, or Android core crapware, but the system default is garbage.
intopieces 8y ago
>Many of the people I know who are proud of quitting Facebook are happily snapping pictures daily for Instagram or chatting regularly on WhatsApp. If you are implying (through the use of "proud of x, [but] happily doing y") that this is some sort of contradiction, I challenge that implication. WhatsApp and Insta are entirely different products by the same company, which scratch different itches. Not everyone changes their social media habits based on a perception of moral failing by the company that purveys those services -- that appears to be something rather unique to a subset of individuals. Some people just want to be happier.

ravenstine 8y ago

I've noticed a significant dropoff in activity on Facebook. Not that I use it much either, but I might check it once every day or every other day, and I keep seeing lots of old stuff in my feed. Now it's gotten to the point where I keep seeing "There are no more posts to show" or some such message when I get to the bottom of the page, which is sight to see for sure. That site is truly dying, at least in my realm of it. In the meantime, I've made it my job to gradually unlike and unfriend nearly everything, which has been made much easier and apparent by the fact that Facebook now shows what other things people have in common with you. (too little too late, mark)

tomjen3 8y ago

I stopped browsing general news, unless somebody alerts me to something important. I find that it makes me slightly less annoyed with the world, not sure I am more happy or productive. But for Twitter and Facebook I found that as long as I unfollow people, mute certain words and otherwise weed out the garden, I am more relaxed, more informed about people I do care about, and I get to see more cool stuff.

RandallBrown 8y ago

Since quitting, do you have any insight into what was making you unhappy about using them? I ask because I've never felt that social media has made me unhappy (beyond some "FOMO" from seeing cool stuff my friends are doing.)

trophycase 8y ago
Moreso than FOMO, I've found that the stimulation addiction loops one gets into are the worst part.