Facebook is terrible, so why was I still using it?

Recently, I had the rather unpleasant experience of my Facebook account being hacked. This was not your average hack either. My account was totally lost. The person who stole my account was somehow able to change my password and recovery email address, which made it impossible for me to re-secure it. The best I could do was report my account and have it deactivated. My initial reaction was shock and sadness. I have had a Facebook account for about 12 years and Facebook manages a lot of my memories. But now, that's all over for me. (Unless Facebook replies to the email I sent them requesting that my account be turned back over to me, but we'll see).

Honestly, after the initial shock, I was kind of relieved. I have been considering "getting off" Facebook for a while. And last year, I stayed away from the platform almost entirely for about six months. Those six months really helped me keep my mind off of things that were bothering me. Facebook often served as a reminder of things that made me feel bad or less than. I was tired of the envy that I couldn't seem to shake. My high school and college peers are all more successful than me, and Facebook was like a parade of my unfulfilled potential. I don't own a house, I don't have a career in my dream field, I don't have any kids, I don't go on vacation every year... And that's not even taking into account the bombardment of targeted advertisements that make me feel like my life is lacking. Facebook (and a lot of other social media) is really just an experiment in discontentment.

One of the most annoying things about Facebook is the ways in which your friends feed into the consumeristic environment. A lot of my Facebook friends act like they're social media influencers, posting product reviews, recipes, and daily routines like it's their job. That's not to say that I hate the occasional recommendation, but the constant "advertising" from average people gets tedious. I want to say "YOU'RE NOT A CELEBRITY! NO ONE CARES ABOUT YOUR SKINCARE ROUTINE!" But I'm not a jerk, so I don't. And now that my account has been hacked, I don't even have the option!

Someday, if I return to Facebook, I hope I can return with a better attitude. One that is not triggered by everything that I don't have. One that can appreciate my friends' motivational posts without wondering if they think that they're some kind of guru. But that doesn't really seem likely, since I don't have that kind of patience. Anyway, if you're on Facebook still, see what a few weeks away will do for you. You might like it, you might hate it. But it would still be good to try.