It was a little over a month ago when I decided to deactivate my Facebook account. Over the past month I’ve been tempted a few times to turn it back on again. Actually, I did — once, for about five minutes — to check out the new privacy settings, before quickly deactivating it again.
As much as I miss knowing what’s going on in my friends’ lives, I have to admit that I’m not missing it as much as I thought I would. This time away from Facebook has helped me realize that when I turn my account back on, I want to have a different relationship with the service.
I like to think that I’m a relatively friendly and social person, but there are times when people stress me out. Facebook, being all about connecting people, can amplify that effect. I realize now that if I feel that starting to happen, that means I’m doin’ it wrong. This is a good thing, though. It’s going to help me regulate my usage and make sure that what I get out of the service is positive.
I didn’t deactivate my account as a personal exercise or due to any perceived problem with Facebook’s utility – I like how it connects me to my friends. I deactivated it because I felt very uncomfortable with Facebook (the company)’s motivations, and their lack of respect for their users. I’m not convinced yet that they’ve seen the error of their ways, but I’m now convinced that there are enough vocal people out there letting Facebook know when they mess up that they won’t be able to abuse their power the way that I feared they might.
I still worry that people don’t take the time to really understand Facebook’s privacy settings and how much information they are sharing with the world. But at some point people have to take responsibility for their own actions, and at least now Facebook offers privacy settings that give their users a fighting chance to protect themselves. Plus, there are now third-party tools like this one and this one that allow users to scan their Facebook profile and make sure their privacy settings are appropriate.
There’s one phrase that has repeatedly gone through my mind since I began writing this post, and it’s totally inappropriate. But since I can’t shake it, and you know it’s all in fun, I guess all there is left to say is: I’m back, bitches.
Didja miss me?
Please note: I've moved my active blogging over to a new site, called Jason Clarke - Infinite Bass Line. I will leave this site up indefinitely, but if you're interested in my latest posts please consider visiting the new site.