Things I learned when I quit Facebook

Like a rat in the dead of the night, I quit Facebook. Well, not really quit as I do have the option to activate it again should I choose to. For some, it may be a completely normal thing. However, for somebody who has been on it since '07, it's a pretty monumental thing to happen. It's the first time I've ever done it and I have to admit I do miss it sometimes.

Why, you ask, I'm sure. I've always wanted to get off Facebook, for fear of feeling, knowing and thinking as my feed does. This is precisely why I try to edit and curate my feed whenever I get the chance. I hate it when I find out about nonsensical news like of certain Internet sensations, show biz trivialities posted by bored people in my feed, and other things I wish I could unsee. As much as I am admittedly, sometimes, full of myself, I also abhor people full of themselves on my feed. I just can't anymore.

So anyway, that decision came over me as I was in the middle of a quiet KL night, as I realized how much I don't want to be exposed to these things anymore. It was easier to do when I'm not at work where I constantly need to be on my brand's pages, too. Now that I think about it, I suppose I have to find a way around it and make it work.

But anyway. My little exercise have taught me a few things, and importantly, bought me time to do more value-adding exercises such as writing this blog post. What have I learned so far?

1. Just like anything you've been used to, there will be withdrawal symptoms. And boy, were they not mild. But it wasn't so bad. My vacation time in KL is not as hectic as my other travels but I find that I channeled withdrawal through other sources. I had more conversations, walked more, explored more, shopped more, ate more. I've read more books and magazines in the last week, too.

2. I feel refreshed. I don't know any of the "yaya's meal" issue until a friend talked to me about it on Viber. On the downside, I also didn't know about the Kenyan massacre until my bestfriend and I discussed it over dinner. Facebook has become my source of most news for the last years and now I have to look for it elsewhere like Twitter, Flipboard and Zite. Other than that, I'm so happy not to know about other people's lives and I'm happy not bombarding other people with my life non-updates.

3. I feel special. This sounds so douchey to me but I feel like a special human being for not being part, at least temporarily, of the 44M people currently on Facebook in the Philippines.

4. The catch 22 of communications. Not sure how I feel about this but since Messenger is a big part of Facebook and I've quit it, I also quit being contacted via Messenger. My friends have found other means to find me, and I'm glad. But for the ones I really don't care much for, I'm glad to temporarily weed them out and aid the process of disconnecting with them.

5. It's a different life. I haven't decided if it has been better but I'm still enjoying it for the mean time.

For now, we'll see how it goes :)
Catch my daily posts via Live an Inspired Life on Facebook!