Chit Chat: Why I Have Opted Out of Facebook

I am not anti-social media. I am not even anti-Facebook. Having a blog that maintains several social media accounts is evidence of this. Yet I don't have a personal Facebook account. I never have and I really don't think I ever will. Our blog does have a Facebook account but I have never logged on to it. Jessica is in charge of maintaining it and I really would not be surprised if it is our least updated outlet.

There are several reasons I don't have a Facebook account but it can all be summed up with one statement. Facebook has never appealed to me. Something about being constantly bombarded with updates on other people's lives and having no control over your private information being shared and sold to advertisers sounds stressful to me. Plus, too much social media causes you to be distant from people in real life. I can think of several people in my life that are constantly checking Facebook. A good friend that I often go to lunch with is always glued to it on her phone. It is really annoying be spending time with someone and they have their phone on the table the entire time and seldom look up from it. I have also found it almost impossible to talk to some people without them talking about what they saw on Facebook.

Another big reason for me is that I am a private person. I don't want to know what every person I have ever met is up to on a regular basis and I most certainly do not want them to know what I am up to. If we are close enough for me to want to share details of my life with you I will give you a call, drop you a text, or spend some time with you face-to-face. Also, sometimes it can be hard enough to just make it through each day that I cannot imagine adding extensively documenting it for everyone to see to the list. I blog as a hobby but in my day job I am an attorney. Due to my profession I do not want give clients or potential clients an opportunity to Facebook stalk me or attempt communications with me through Facebook. I know plenty of attorneys who are okay with this but to me it has never seemed like the safest way to protect my career.

One positive that many people point out is that Facebook is great for staying connected. I have nothing against Facebook but when it comes to staying in contact with my friends I simply prefer that it is done in a personal way. If you are someone I want to keep in touch with or we are friends I have no problem with making an effort to reach out in ways that may take a little more effort than Facebook. In an effort to be honest I should also disclose that there are some people I don't really want to keep in touch with.

I have limited time to spend on important things in life and using Facebook doesn't fit into my lifestyle. I don't feel like I am missing out on anything. It may sound a little dramatic but I feel like having a Facebook account would add another stressor to my life. I feel like not having a Facebook account helps me insure that I make the time to unplug which is something that can be an issue for many bloggers.

I have an active, busy life and have managed so far without Facebook. I cannot imagine I ever carving out a space in my life for it. Are you one of the few people in the world (like me) without a Facebook account? Or do you think I am majorly missing out and need to create an account asap?

via: Pink Coat