Social Media Facebook 238 238 people found this article helpful 5 Reasons to Quit Facebook for Good Should you unplug from the social media giant? by Leslie Walker Writer Former Lifewire writer Leslie Walker is a multimedia journalism professor who covers social media, web publishing, and internet technologies. our editorial process Twitter Leslie Walker Updated on December 08, 2020 Facebook Facebook Flipboard Pinterest Twitter Snapchat Instagram YouTube Online Dating Tweet Share Email Whether you want to take a break from the social network or close your Facebook account altogether, you might have plenty of reasons to delete Facebook. Below are examples of why people decide to take Facebook holidays. Typically, it's about regaining control of their non-virtual lives. If you aren't sure you are ready to quit entirely, deactivate your account temporarily and see how you feel over the next week or two. You may find that you have more free time and are less stressed out than before. geralt/Pixabay.com 01 of 05 Regain Control of Your Privacy You have some parts of your life that you should never post on Facebook, but no matter how careful you are, some level of risk is always involved in having a social media presence. Fear that your password and other personal data might accidentally make it to unauthorized people is just the start of your Facebook privacy worries. Facebook makes clear in its Terms of Service that you are surrendering ownership rights to all intellectual property, including your photos and posts. Although you have plenty of ways to protect your privacy on Facebook, they aren't all obvious. 02 of 05 Stop Reliving the Past Facebook keeps a record of your activities and relationships, which can be both a positive and a negative. If you're young, imagine how those party photos and crude comments could come back to haunt future-you. If you're older, how annoying is it to see your younger face reappear on Facebook whenever long-lost classmates tag you? Temporarily suspending your account might be a good idea, especially when you're looking for a job. 03 of 05 Cut Out Social Media Anxieity Worrying about whether to ignore, reject, or accept all those friend requests from people you don't like can be stressful. Compound that with people you do like asking you to answer trivia questions, pass along chain-mail quizzes, attend virtual events, or attend real-life events. The result can be Facebook anxiety. Everyone needs some alone time, so periodically leaving social media can be good for your mental health. 04 of 05 Stop Feeling Inadequate Facebook can overwhelm you with trivial facts about what your friends are supposedly doing. When it seems like all your Facebook friends are having more fun and leading more exciting lives than you, it may be time to leave the social network for a while. Remember that people present the best image of themselves online. Just because someone's life seems perfect according to Facebook doesn't mean that they necessarily have it better than you. 05 of 05 Beat Facebook Addiction Facebook can be a major time waste. How much of your life do you want to spend lost in the daily dramas of people you barely know? It's easy to get sucked into reading trivial updates from Facebook friends and checking out people you wish you knew better. If you can't pull away, you can try a number of things to break Facebook addiction. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Email Address Sign up There was an error. Please try again. You're in! Thanks for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. Thank you for signing up. Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit