Yes, it is true. I quit using Facebook. Now, this isn't a mockery without any reason. Before we analyse why I quit Facebook let’s analyse why I should use it?
Let me try to answer, why I used it before. Well, the list of answers goes like this.
1. **I Believed it helped me to connect with my friends**.
2. **I believed Without Facebook, I may not be able to notice those events which might happen. Including Mozilla, and the hackathon events**.
3. **I believed (Actually, this is for some) Posting Photos, getting maximum likes, and all other deeds make me look cool**.
4. **I believed I will be updated with the latest news and other trolls**.
These are the few set of answers that most of us have in our minds (Some might disagree). As we were successful in jotting the answers, let's try to contradict them.
Getting Connected With my friends
This is one of the prominent reasons, or the answer everyone projects once their Facebook usage is questioned.
However, In my case, I felt that if I really wants to connect with my friends, if i really wants to know how they are doing, I’d rather call them and ask how they are doing? or rather I would pay a visit to them on perfect chance.
Some might argue that calling is expensive. Well, son, we have lots of VOIP including WhatsApp and skype installed in our devices ( The WhatsApp is Facebook’s sister concerned project, but unless telegram creates a BB10 client and introduces voice calls, am not ditching it). If you are too much against calling, you can ping them via lots of IM services.
### Noticing Events
This is actually an area where I have to find substitutes. Most of the event organizers have their own Facebook page and They post about their events in those pages only. Many doesn't have a permanent web page as well.
*Meetup.com* Is really helping me with this, They are having details about almost all the events happening around me. I believe, following my favourite organizer's website might fix this situation.
*A Note to organizers*
If you are an organizer and if you are notifying your audience only via Facebook, then you are standing against decentralization with or without your knowledge.
Some might argue with the above statement, but for me, if we use something like Facebook rather than an independent webpage to inform about any event it is actually showing a thumbs up to the centralization rather than a finger in the crimson.
Posting Photos and getting likes
Likes, facebook’s most successful way to bother you about a new constraint which you weren't aware of around 10 years ago.
I’ve seen many people who are bothered about the likes and comments they get on Facebook. I have seen many people who say, “Damn it, I just got 40 likes, he got 60”.
Please have a look at 10 years back, did you have Facebook? No, not in India. How did it feel? Wasnt problematic. Then why now?
What I feel about all these is, For most people, this is about showing off. Some people go to pubs and take selfies and post them on FB even without going to the dance floor, so once somebody asks about it, they can reply “Yes, I was there, wasn't it awesome?”
Most the people are exact opposite in the real world than you see on Facebook. They rather prefer texting the one on Facebook rather than the one sitting just opposite you in the coffee shop. Wonderful, isn't it?
Being Updated
This was once of the prominent reason why i stood with the facebook for these many years. The News updates. With the emerge of *International Chalu Union* ( Only keralites can understand this) and other troll pages, it was fun to know about the recent events and to troll them.
Then i realised the biggest threat in it, Im not pointing towards the dignity of any of the trolling sites. But, from the way facebook prioritize things, now what i want to see isnt my freedom anymore.
My freedom to organize my timeline is violated by sponsered posts, ads and all other junks.
Hence i substituted facebook with feedly to help me in the process of being updated.
[^There were few people who influenced me to stay away from the facebook, ASD to name the few. Thank you people.]