Journalist Ravi Mai has been affixed to the social networking site on Facebook for a long time, but then he decided to have to get rid of toxins on social media – here are how things turned
Continue, admit this – we all boasted about our personal victories on Facebook at some point. Whether it is the marathon that you had crashed, or the sober teacher you reached or the huge party that I enjoyed for a great birthday, many of us have shared the footage, clips or rolling on how “grateful, blessed or lucky” we are to achieve what we have. Sometimes it is likable and sometimes, makes us disappear.
But now, I am swallowing my pride in celebrating a personal victory that includes the creation of Mark Zuckerberg as I recently – April 15, precisely – in one year since I gave birth to goodbye to my Facebook definition file.
That's right, you are a drug addict on Facebook. Since I opened my page while he was in the first university level in February 2007, I have been logging in almost daily. The devastating addiction hobby was that stole precious moments with my family and friends, as well as the vital mental ability that I could use in more attention activities.
It seems that I was not the only one that fills with it – I mean, I absorbed – with the attractiveness of Meta as well. According to the 2024 OFCOM report, about 70 % of adult Britons participate in Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp during the previous year. By May 2024, we were registering four hours online every day, as it took 61 minutes dead platforms and alphabet services (think about Google, Gmail and YouTube) that takes 63 minutes from the screen time.
Spending four hours a day attached to our screens is usually worrying. This prompted me to think of the endless minutes to pass through friends' activities, watch videos, catch news and comment on publications.
Toxins were not eliminated on social media at the beginning – I went to a non -contact mode in July 2015, but I entered the pressure of peer after only one month. Nevertheless, during the next decade, disappointment has grown with Facebook, which led me to take radical steps to restore my mental space.
Initially, it was about cutting the excessive list of “my friends”, which included people who hardly knew them for one nights as well as their colleagues in strangers who became strangers. Delayed clearing my social district.
Then there was an explanation. This miserable routine every morning was dragging me down. But this was not everything that affected my mood.
Facebook delivered everyone a soap box for their opinions – realistic or not. Suddenly, everyone has obtained Britain's exit from the European Union, Human Rights and Immigration. For me, the British Muslims, who witnessed, was about my faith spreading like the wild fires was in particular. Summary, these lies have gained traction and continue to mislead many.
The last straw for me was the Cambridge Analytical scandal and Covid Lockdowns. The thinking was that my personal data could be shared and exploited by third parties without her knowledge very worrying. Moreover, the flood of wrong information about vaccines, withdrawal and Partygate scandal leaves me as nausea.
The balance between a profession in journalism, family obligations and other mental health issues (which I will not discuss here) was already exhausting enough. Facebook (and Instagram, to boot) only add to this tension, which makes me feel more attrition and pessimism around the world, and even causing physical illness. I used to resort to social media for a little escape, but it ended with the disease.
Therefore, from late 2020, I started to gradually reduce my use on Facebook. I went to use it daily to every day. Soon this became once every two days (a pattern kept for about a year), then once every three days, and finally once a week. Make a Facebook app deleting it easier because it helped me resist the temptation to visit the site.
This strategy worked alongside my return to the office after the closure. The presence of people was the perfect distraction from internet connection, regardless of the number of notifications that were flashing on my phone. In addition, the presence abroad and enjoyment of nature was great – the personal highlight of the peak area was scaling.
March 15, 2024, the day I finally decided to leave Facebook for good. Since I have already reduced my use, it seemed to be the next logical step. I submitted a request to delete my account, and informed me of Facebook that it will be removed permanently after a 30-day waiting period-a temporary store if I changed my opinion. During this process, I also managed to download all my previous posts.
The effects of taking off Facebook
A month later, I received an email confirming that my account has been deleted. I felt a feeling of relief washing me. As days turned into months, I began to feel that I regained control of my life.
One of the main influences was to change life-now I have time to follow all my interests. I managed to read more books, work in the gym, and have fun with friends and family, and I no longer feel the need to constantly check my phone, which caused me physical discomfort.
A year has passed since I left Facebook, and I am pleased to inform you that I am refreshing, more alert and controlling my customs on social media. I no longer test the feeling of feeling out.
If you are skeptical of my experience, think about a study conducted by experts at the University of Nottingham Trent. The research found that refraining from communication from social media “increased significantly from imagined mental well -being and social interconnection, and decreased significantly [fear of missing out] Compared to the seven -day period of social media use. “
For those who are thinking about purifying social media, Harvard University has a five -step plan that corresponds to my approach: setting a plan, identifying your operators, limiting or deleting applications, acid yourself responsibility, re -evaluation before returning. It is not a clear process, but to overcome addiction.
So there are you. I was addicted to Facebook, but now I am comfortable to be empty. My next goal is Instagram. Will I be able to eliminate it? Only the time will be told. I wish me luck.
