It's clear Facebook is the biggest social networking site around the world. Almost everybody is using it and people stay connected with one another because of this amazing platform. Having a Facebook account can give you a lot of advantages. However, logging into Facebook for an unhealthy number of hours can prevent you from doing the things in your life that you really ought to be doing, instead of admiring the lives of your friends.
Facebook can become an addiction that’s hard to get rid of once you've started and it’s already ingrained in your daily routine. So in order to turn around your Facebook addiction you will need to do everything you can in order to separate your life from the social networking site and make clear boundaries. We know that it’s not going to be easy so we have come up with the following steps to help guide you to ween yourself from Facebook.
1.) Know if you are really addicted to Facebook. Watch out for signs that are implying that you can’t seem to live without the social networking site. Is logging into your account your first and last activity everyday? Do you still feel alone despite being socially active on Facebook? Does the website make you live in those past pictures of an ex lover even when you’re trying to move on?
These are just some of the signs of Facebook addiction. Thus, if you think that you are showing one of these symptoms, then keep reading the other steps below. Always remember that admitting one’s weaknesses makes you a stronger individual. It’s definitely your stepping stone towards the long road of recovery.
2.) Stop saying the word “Facebook” all the time. This is the first step that you should do to cure your addiction with the social networking site. Prevent yourself from logging in to your Facebook account multiple times a day so you can eventually stop the habit of checking facebook. Remember, opening your profile is something that you are required to do. Always keep that in mind. Your life can go on without Facebook and other websites can still provide you with the news or gossip that you want to know.
Focus on your life outside of Facebook. That’s where you should give all your energy to. Go out with your friends and experience the real world. Start making your life more meaningful again.
3.) Stop sending friend requests to EVERYONE on Facebook. What you’re doing is definitely not “healthy” and it would only make your personal information prone to hacking and other forms privacy invasion. Strangers on Facebook can also harass you so stick with the people that you know outside the social networking site and delete those individuals that you have added up out of boredom or curiosity.
Having only a small number of friends in Facebook is perfectly fine. It doesn’t make you less of a person and it doesn’t make you less popular. If you’re too concerned about your reputation in school or at work, then work on making real connections with the people around you. The number of true friends that you have in your life is what truly defines you.
4.) Use Facebook WISELY. You are allowed to use it whenever you’re bored, but not at times when you want to escape from all of your responsibilities. As they always say, time is gold and it truly is. It’s something that you can never get back. Thus, if you find yourself cramming with all the school papers that you should have done a few hours ago, then you can start blaming Facebook for turning your life into a huge mess.
Also, don’t be a source of annoyance on Facebook. You can change your status, but don’t do it every minute. By doing so, your friends’ news feeds will start to be all about you and there’s a great possibility that they would choose to hide your status updates.
5.) Try to spend more time outside Facebook. If it happens to be a holiday, then you should be out there with your family and colleagues. Enjoy human companionship rather than sitting in front of the computer for a whole day gaining nothing. Have fun because life’s too short. You may hear people saying that phrase too often, but it’s the truth. Don’t let Facebook let you miss the best things in life.
We are not promoting the non-usage of the website. We just want to let you see that Facebook doesn’t have to stop you from attending special occasions such as weddings, birthday parties etc. This can’t be emphasized enough but again, have a life besides your Facebook account.
6.) Why do you use Facebook in the first place? What is its significance in your life? You should be able to have firm answers to these questions for you to be able to set limitations. It isn’t a crime to be online most of the time. However, if browsing through Facebook lets you forget about your meals and appointments, then that’s a different story. Those of you who are already helplessly addicted to the website should do something about it.
Have time for yourself. Your friends can live without having you like all of their posts on Facebook. Don’t you ever think that it is your responsibility to be socially active because it’s not. You have your own life and you should never forget about that.
7.) What are the things that you usually do on Facebook? Write them all down and take the time to look at the list that you have created. Have you gained something out of the activities in that list? Yes, Facebook can be a stress reliever from time to time, but it can also make us so unproductive letting us have more regrets than we can ever imagine. Learn to find the balance in your life and only use the social networking when you need it.
If you are really bored, then do other things that can make you happy. You definitely have hobbies that you can do, right? Rediscover your passion for other activities before you knew the existence of Facebook.