The
world around us is always changing and evolving, and it is not the teen years
of the second millennium anymore. Social media platforms might have started as
small businesses that cater to the needs of youth while shaping the digital
age, but they have now transformed from newborn startups into global giants.
اضافة اعلان
Most
millennials like myself, as well as GenZ youth, have a tendency to use
technology, and my personal journey on Facebook began in early 2007. It was a
wondrous experience filled with self discovery through the internet, using
virtual strings to announce and declare my existence to the world.
However,
it can be tempting to overstay one’s welcome as a social media user, and I
overstayed my welcome on Facebook, not knowing that staying too long on the
strings awakens a spider that turns users to prey.
There
are many who would argue that they have left Facebook over privacy concerns and
how privacy is continuously invaded, and yet they might still be using WhatsApp
and Instagram, which are both owned by Facebook. So, leaving the latter while
keeping the former does not result in any true change.
Thinking
about it, our whole existence in the digital world is an invasion of our
privacy, and we can only blame ourselves for how much goes on there. However,
one cannot help but wonder if it is really possible to detach and detox
ourselves from social media.
As
someone working in digital marketing, I can safely say that social media is an
essential element to thrive and reach out to others, and in this respect we
cannot deny the importance of the platforms in our day-to-day lives. Therefore,
I am here to mainly explain the decision I have taken to completely leave
Facebook.
Facebook
is currently the most extensively used social media network in the world with
roughly 2.85 million users worldwide. The total number of Facebook users in
Jordan reached more than 6 million in May of 2021, according to
Napoleoncat.com, which means
that almost 61 percent of Jordan’s population is on the platform.
The
slogan we were fed is that Facebook “helps connect and share with people in
your life,” but in reality, the slogan should be “Facebook is trying hard to be
the next Google.”
When
it first started, the whole idea was to allow people to connect with each other
and share content; but at a later stage when the idea of a “post” was
introduced and evolved, this ambition turned people into hostages of their own
devices.
The
experience became worse as we sank into annoying targeted ads, videos, groups,
pages, marketplaces, and shopping platforms, and I imagine they are working
towards having their own search engine in the future. Personally, I see nothing
innovative about Facebook; it simply copies features from its rivals and then
proceeds to present them as new features that would enhance the user
experience.
As
an ex-user of Facebook, it is difficult to see it as a “platform”, as the site
is being continuously misused by users, whom we cannot blame when the tool
itself is having an identity crisis.
Facebook’s
monopolizing approach of owning, managing, and deliberately declaring
themselves as the only and top digital world player is simply despicable.
As
mentioned before, with 61 percent of Jordan’s population is on the platform,
for them, it has become a place filled with fake news, low-quality content, and
even obituaries, but the most essential downgrade of all is how it became a
place of cyberbullying and identity theft.
There
were up to 1.3 billion fake profiles on Facebook during 2019 alone, according
to Statista.com, in addition
to 533 million Facebook users having their data hacked and leaked in early 2019.
These
are all signs that the platform is losing its grip, which will eventually lead
to what we can call “Facebook Exodus,” the beginning of which we are already
witnessing. The statistics and abuse are also somewhat indicative of how
Facebook is abusing its users and treating them like bait for the benefit of
advertisers.
Everyone
on Facebook must take the time to observe, analyze, and make an informed
decision regarding whether they want to remain part of such a horrendous
virtual space filled with obvious exploitation.
We
cannot completely blame Facebook for being what it is now, but we can place
part of the blame on ourselves for allowing it to turn us into victims, and so
all we need is to sit with ourselves for only a bit and think of how Facebook
is of any benefit to us.
I
believe it is time to join the Facebook Exodus, and I hope that leaving the
platform will be just as wonderful and liberating an experience for others as
it has been for me. There is no going back.
Read more opinions
.jpg)
.jpg)
