Am I better off by deleting my Facebook account?

[jsimenhoff]

I'm worried about my privacy, security, and over all general happiness. Will I be happier deleting my facebook account for good?

 

[turkey3_scratch]

Do you frequently get in verbal conflicts on Facebook.?

 

[James Mason]

it's not so much deleting it, as it is making it private (so only people who know your email address can find it) and not using it for everything. Only family and real friends, not the fake friends or work friends. It's easier to communicate with your actual social group over facebook, but it also leaves you with not much "new" to talk with people in person about, but who has time for that?

 

[JalYt_Justin]

There are a lot of better (and safer) social media options than Facebook right now. Ultimately if social media is something that you end up worrying about, it's better to take it out of your life. You wouldn't want to play a game you don't enjoy playing, would you?

 

[jsimenhoff]

Do you frequently get in verbal conflicts on Facebook.?

Taking a cue from Ray Parker Jr., venerable singer, songwriter and author of the famous Ghostbusters theme song:

I ain't afraid of no trolls.

 

[turkey3_scratch]

Then why do you think it makes you unhappy?

 

[jsimenhoff]

Then why do you think it makes you unhappy?

I'm stuck in a hamster wheel searching for likes. I'm scared of the possible privacy and security issues, which in turn cause a bit of anxiety in my analog life.

On the other hand I've made worthwhile connections using facebook and it is invaluable when asking the hivemind for their opinion or input.

 

[henrytcasey]

Do you frequently get in verbal conflicts on Facebook.?

Taking a cue from Ray Parker Jr., venerable singer, songwriter and author of the famous Ghostbusters theme song:

I ain't afraid of no trolls.

[video="https/www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9We2XsVZfc"][/video]

 

[TechyInAZ]

I wouldn't personally, just make it anonymous as others have said already. I personally have a FB account and when i first made it, i put in a bogus last name, birthday, and a few other bogus things. So you can make anything safe as long as you don't reveal a lot of personal info.

 

[Aeacus]

While my FB account is also made as private as possible (e.g you can't find me when searching me at FB), there's always an issue that FB can and most likely will use all the info i put there as they see fit, without i ever knowing the real usage of that info. That's why i keep my input at FB as minimal as possible (e.g i don't react with "like" when my friend posts something and i actually like it).

For best privacy and security: don't use FB and Windows. Instead, use Linux and browse with Tor.

Also, if you're unhappy after getting rid of your FB account, you can always make a new one there. It isn't that hard.

Edit: Here's further reading about what FB can know about you and how it's doing it,
link: http/daylandoes.com/facebook-and-your-data/

 

[Turb0Yoda]

If you ABSOLUTELY have to use facebook. Run it thru Tor inside a VPN, and use ublock origin, and tampermonkey scripts, and send do not track requests

Oh, and delete all the cookies and caches(which should be done by Tor). And set all teh FB settings to extremely private

That's security and Safety.

Spoiler

Please note I do not advocate using Tor through a VPN unless you want to wait actual years for the page to load. I also said this as a slight joke, but it damn well makes tracking harder.

 

[Solandri]

While my FB account is also made as private as possible (e.g you can't find me when searching me at FB), there's always an issue that FB can and most likely will use all the info i put there as they see fit, without i ever knowing the real usage of that info. That's why i keep my input at FB as minimal as possible (e.g i don't react with "like" when my friend posts something and i actually like it).

For best privacy and security: don't use FB and Windows. Instead, use Linux and browse with Tor.

I'm not even sure browsing with Tor is enough. It's possible to create a fingerprint of your browser based on various configuration settings and which extensions you have installed. A lot of times this can uniquely identify your browser even if you're using an anonymizing service.

https/panopticlick.eff.org/

And a Facebook account is not necessary for them to track you. That little 'f' icon that's on practically every website? It's not just an icon and link to visit Facebook. It's a script that runs every time you visit a page with the icon. It reports identifying info about your browser back to Facebook, along with which web page you just visited. So even if you don't have a FB account, they know that at 11:48:36 PM on 2018-01-23 browser # 58193651506321 visited furrysextoys.org. They also know which furry suits and toys you browsed, as you spent 32 minutes considering what to buy.

And if you ever visit a site where they have a sharing agreement with, they can link browser # 58193651506321 to some personally identifying info like your home address. And from there they can cross-reference to all the other info their users have been giving them, like your home address when one of them asked where your surprise birthday party was going to be. And presto! Now they know you're browser # 58193651506321, where you live, what you look like (thanks to facial recognition of the snapshot your friend took when you visited Disneyland last year), where you work, how much you make, and that you have a fetish for bunny furry sex. All without you having a Facebook account.

 

[darkbreeze]

Seems like the discussion regarding security, while certainly appropriate given the current (and past) atmosphere regarding vulnerabilities and obvious fact that there really are people out to get you, doesn't really address the question that was asked which seemed to be a lot more personally directed than outwardly directed.

Happiness was the central point of that question. "WIll I be happier if I delete my Facebook account"?

And that is something I think each person has to decide for themselves. If you feel that the use of the social network platform in question is causing or contributing to your unhappiness then certainly it's something you need to consider, but be aware, once deleted that's it. You can't "undelete" your profile, get it back or contact FB saying "oops, that was an accident" just because you've changed your mind. If this is a new and possibly temporary consideration then I'd say to simply set everything aside for now, turn it all to extremely private and walk away until you've had time to see how it makes you feel without it.

If at some later point you decide that yes, I'm better off without it, move forward and delete it for good. If you feel as though you are having withdrawls, perhaps FURTHER consideration is needed as that would tend to indicate an unhealthy compulsion or addiction. If however you just feel like "man, I was just having a couple of bad days" and now you are seeing things more clearly, you at least still have the option to return to your normal interactions there and don't have to create a whole new account and start building your entire online social structure over from scratch.

 

[turkey3_scratch]

Maybe it's be good to practice with your Tom's account and let me take over your position. Then you can see if that made you happier and apply it to Facebook 😉

 

[turkey3_scratch]

On a more serious note, if you are seeking confirmation through upvotes you could seek the route of somehow training your mind to not care for upvotes. But that's a tough thing to do I'm sure.

 

[Lutfij]

It depends on what you actually use Facebook for. I know some folks who use it to build a reputation around others and their work. If you can contact professionals you're currently working with on another platform(like Skype or even a phone call) then you can do away with a Facebook account. I've personally been missing from FB for about 6 years until I got back into it only because I had to rekindle some old contacts and it was a worth while hiatus. In spite of that, I yet maintain privacy and who I befriend on FB as well the manner in which I converse with individuals I suspect... maybe something to ponder over.

 

[Deleted member 217926]

OK I'll bite. What's a Facebook account? 😀 Proud social media Luddite.

Hmmmmm. Is it better to have had a Facebook account and deleted it or to never have had a Facebook account at all? The great mysteries of life.