How do you manage facebook?

How do you handle having a facebook account, if you have one at all? I deleted mine about 3 years ago. Circumstances were such that I gave it another shot recently, but it's just too much! I'm out for good.

My Facebook account hasn't been used in ages.

I found it too much. Even though it was online, it felt too much like socializing - if that doesn't sound daft.

I found my negative thoughts kick in. What if I don't post the right thing, or it's not witty enough. Or why hasn't anyone commented on my status. Or why haven't they accepted my friend request - or worse refused it altogether.

I don't miss it either. They only reason I keep it rather than delete it, is it's the way I stay in touch with an old friend in NZ.

I use facebook as another means of hurting myself. When I'm already feeling bad is when I usually go on there, under an assumed name, so no-one knows who I am and I look up the people I used to know- the ones that hurt me and the ones I grew up with. I see them all with careers and in relationships and with their own children now, and it just makes me feel bad that I haven't achieved any of those things. I've never posted anything and never interacted with anyone on there.

I really should delete it.

I play games on facebook. And I have thousands of "friends" who I have no idea who they are. I barely look at the feed, and then just to see the funny pictures. (I did just see a house lit up and timed to "This Is Halloween" that was brilliant.)

What I've noticed is a lot of B&M, a lot of people who are sick who need T&P, and very little good news. Maybe I'm lucky. Maybe the people who play games on Facebook don't have exciting wonderful lives. Maybe I've just found my peeps.

-- Fri Oct 18, 2013 9:40 am --

Found a link on Youtube so you don't have to bother with Facebook:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAXMtUCcp7o

I have one only to follow entertainment I like! Oh and also have these friends I've never seen which is good because it makes me feel less alone. And I use a fake account with a black square as avatar.

lilyfairy wrote:I use facebook as another means of hurting myself. When I'm already feeling bad is when I usually go on there, under an assumed name, so no-one knows who I am and I look up the people I used to know- the ones that hurt me and the ones I grew up with.

This was very dangerous to me as well so really you should delete it or create a new one only to follow things you like as I did. There's no need to hurt yourself like that!

Me and a few people message back and forth to stay in touch. It's more comfortable and less personal than using a phone, so that's nice. If I ever "update my status" I tend to delete it later, or look at it later and feel like whatever I said was stupid or worded wrong or something. I do like to post my artwork on there though, because all of the "likes" make me feel better about myself

I too deleted mine after 3 attempts, each attempt at Facebook was more painful than the last. The hard part now is making excuses why I don't have an account when people and family ask.

I am on a picture app now (not IG) and I like it much better, when I post pictures of my world I feel like I have more control than I do with words and feedback on Facebook. I also feed off the 'likes' some of the pictures get (sunsets are popular, haha), but it is much more creative and fulfilling (and less painful) than I found facebook to be, and it's still a way for me to interact with others - albeit visually only. The trouble I have now is I never go anyplace so my pictures are becoming awful redundant!

angles90 wrote:This was very dangerous to me as well so really you should delete it or create a new one only to follow things you like as I did. There's no need to hurt yourself like that!

Yeah, I know I should delete it. I guess it's another form of self harming really. I'm not someone who's ever really taken to facebook at all so following and liking other people on there doesn't really interest me to be honest.

Facebook.. wait. That's the thing I leave sitting there... I don't think avoiding using facebook makes me avoidant though, I think its called procrastination. which suggests that atm I see speaking to other people as an unpleasant chore.

Has anyone tried Pinterest instead? It's brill, it's like an online scrapbook. You can create different 'boards' to group your 'pins' (which are pictures, links or articles). I like it because it is a space that represents me, what I am and what I like.

People can follow you or one of boards, but these are usually strangers. There no interaction between you and followers or who you follow. The site discourages you trying to gain hundreds of 'friends'. You can also create three boards that only you can see, so you can keep some privacy.

It's a nice alternative to Facebook or Twitter. It's something to do online in peace and quiet, it's online and in mobile devices and tablets.

I recommend it.