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Tomorrow I am challenging myself to a one month Facebook hiatus, mostly to prove to myself that I won't be missing much without it. Facebook has become a hotbed of negativity, misinformation (because if it's on the internet it MUST be true), and "pity me" posts. I'm just not feeling it anymore, but I'm so used to checking it that it's become a habit I need to break. I have chosen to keep messenger, which does operate independently if the Facebook app is not installed.

I wanted to see if anyone would be interested in doing this with me, starting 2/26 and ending 3/26 (if you do want to go back). I think it could be an interesting self experiment, even more so if I could compare notes with others.

NicThePoet 7 Feb 25
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Enjoy being online again!

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28 comments

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8

Facebook is worse than that. You know those cutsie "Let us access your information and we'll tell you what Disney character you are" links? Yeah they're ACCESSING YOUR INFORMATION! Facebook is an invasion of privacy.

MarqG Level 5 Feb 25, 2018

Is it an “invasion” if you give it your “invitation”??

@Ungod It is if you don't know what you're doing when you "invite" them.

Then that’s YOUR mistake!

In any event, you can UNinvite them anytime you like!

@Ungod You don't have a real good grasp on this internet thing do you Ungod? Once your information is out there you ain't getting it back.

[QUOTE] [guidingtech.com]

[T]he way Facebook can snoop into your privacy is downright creepy.
Every app requires a certain degree of permissions from the user to access either your contacts (in the case of apps like Truecaller), images (in the case of photo-sharing apps like Instagram) and the likes.

Similarly, Facebook also requires certain permissions from your device in order to be able to function to its optimum level but these permissions account for almost all of the permissions that any of the apps need.

To give you a brief idea, you allow the Facebook apps to access:

Your contacts, call logs, text messages. This essentially means that the company can see who all are in your contacts, call them, message them and also see who you’ve been in contact with. The app can also make modifications in your device’s calendar.
Your location, which enables them to know where you are.

Your camera, which means the app has permission to click images, record videos and audio via the microphone too.

Your internal storage, which means they can see files on your phone as well as delete them.
The app can access your WiFi, change the wallpaper, network connectivity and much more.
In short, the amount of access that the Facebook app enjoys on your device almost equals the amount of access you do.
[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE] [techcrunch.com]

Facebook rolls out AI to detect suicidal posts before they’re reported

Facebook’s new “proactive detection” artificial intelligence technology will scan all posts for patterns of suicidal thoughts, and when necessary send mental health resources to the user at risk or their friends, or contact local first-responders. By using AI to flag worrisome posts to human moderators instead of waiting for user reports, Facebook can decrease how long it takes to send help.

Facebook previously tested using AI to detect troubling posts and more prominently surface suicide reporting options to friends in the U.S. Now Facebook is will scour all types of content around the world with this AI, except in the European Union, where General Data Protection Regulation privacy laws on profiling users based on sensitive information complicate the use of this tech.

[SNIP]

The idea of Facebook proactively scanning the content of people’s posts could trigger some dystopian fears about how else the technology could be applied. Facebook didn’t have answers about how it would avoid scanning for political dissent or petty crime, with Rosen merely saying “we have an opportunity to help here so we’re going to invest in that.” There are certainly massive beneficial aspects about the technology, but it’s another space where we have little choice but to hope Facebook doesn’t go too far.
[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE] [bloomberg.com]
Facebook Inc.’s software knows your face almost as well as your mother does. And like mom, it isn’t asking your permission to do what it wants with old photos.

While millions of internet users embrace the tagging of family and friends in photos, others worried there’s something devious afoot are trying block Facebook as well as Google from amassing such data.

As advances in facial recognition technology give companies the potential to profit from biometric data, privacy advocates see a pattern in how the world’s largest social network and search engine have sold users’ viewing histories for advertising. The companies insist that gathering data on what you look like isn’t against the law, even without your permission.

Facebook encourages users to "tag" people in photographs they upload in their personal posts and the social network stores the collected information. The company uses a program it calls DeepFace to match other photos of a person. Alphabet Inc.’s cloud-based Google Photos service uses similar technology.

The billions of images Facebook is thought to be collecting could be even more valuable to identity thieves than the names, addresses, and credit card numbers now targeted by hackers, according to privacy advocates and legal experts.

While those types of information are mutable -- even Social Security numbers can be changed -- biometric data for retinas, fingerprints, hands, face geometry and blood samples, are unique identifiers.

“Biometric identifiers are a key way to link together information about people,” such as discrete financial, medical and educational records, said Marc Rotenberg, the president of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, who isn’t involved in the case. Facebook has “cleverly got its users to improve the accuracy of its own database,” he said.

And just how good is Facebook’s technology? According to the company’s research, DeepFace recognizes faces with an accuracy rate of 97.35 percent compared with 97.5 percent for humans -- including mothers.

Rotenberg said the privacy concerns are twofold: Facebook might sell the information to retailers or be forced to turn it over to law enforcement -- in both cases without users knowing it.
[/QUOTE]

I don’t have ANY of these problems!

WHY do you give them correct information about yourself?!!

WHY do you give them access to YOUR files?!!

WHY do you take FB seriously?!!

You know these things are going on but you INVITE them into your life?

I use a completely separate email address with made up personal information!

They can’t “invade” your world if you protect your borders and don’t INVITE them in!

I suggest you build a WALL...

You don’t even have to pay for it!!

7

I gave up Facebook three months ago. I now take a peek every once in a while. I feel better for not getting involved in all the negativity surrounding our WH president despot / Trumpanzee and other horrible events. Life was and is better without FB.

6

I love this, and I'm happy to join you. I've been thinking about it for a while. 🙂

The app is off my phone. I still use Messenger but will be relieved to leave the insanity of FB behind for a while. Glad we can use this site to have our discussions instead!!!

5

Yeah..Fb is crap..

4

I'm so glad to have company in this! Everyone keep us all updated here!

3

I had enough of the nonsense, and deactivated my account December 12th, so I've already been about 10 weeks 'clean' lol. I knew a classmate had passed away last week and wanted to tell others near and far, but nope...I didn't even want to darken FB's dysfunctional door again. I may go back at some point because I've found a few 'legitimate' reasons for FB, but I'm not in any rush...I have this site now I can obsess over! Wheee!

3

This is a great idea. Highly recommend social media detox.
When it wasn't part of my job to be on facebook, I stayed off for one month in February and called it #ForgetFacebookFebruary
Looking forward to your Follow-up on this thread with how it went!

3

Good for you! This is my 3rd time getting off FB and I really don't miss it. I miss some of my friends but not all the political b.s. It is really depressing - that is the main reason I got off of it, I'm depressed enough.

3

I basically go a month a time without checking it anyway.I'll participate.

3

Good luck!

I am going to give this a go as well.

3

I could use a break as well. I'll be happy to join you in this experiment! I just posted on my FB for folks to engage in this experiment and report how long they made it using #nofb .

2

When I found this site, I spend much more time here than there. Mostly because too much tiem on Facebook just depresses me.

2

Hey Nicki... I give up face book 8 years ago. Hmmm... I see I'm glad I did.

2

I'm in ....starting when I go to sleep tonight. I'm gonna take it off my phone right now tho. Good Luck Everyone! Happy Hunting....for LIFE !

twill Level 7 Feb 25, 2018
2

If I wouldn't lose track of my nieces and nephews I'd give it up.

Here's something I just had to message to a friend to help you through your cold turkey phase: [snopes.com]

It was marked "Urgent!.". "We're killing our kids with paint thinner in cereal."

2

Actually I was going to do that starting - either yesterday or the day before, I forget now, but I almost exclusively access it on my computer - and it looked like disabling facebook on my computer would shut off messenger - which I need. I failed royally at the sheer willpower method.

I totally agree that facebook has become as you said - and earlier today after I finished feeling stupid, I had to laugh at myself for spending that long rebutting one of the more ignorant, egocentric sounding comments ever on my page that I only realized was sent by a bot after I replied. I previously hadn't really believed the bot story, but if this wasn't a bot, it was a troll. Maybe both - a troll bot.

People are getting meaner and more - convinced of misinformation, but there are elements out there intentionally confusing people and shortening people's tempers. It wasn't that long ago that people who got most of their information online rather than over television or radio were better informed, and mostly more even-tempered. Have I been to influenced by conspiracy theorists such that I'm imagining that if there is some evil, wealthy group that wants to abuse humanity to gain all power and control, it would be important to confuse the best informed, and agitate the even-tempered? I know that thought could be wrong. I'm also aware that making the concept of "conspiracy theorist" a term of ridicule would be a way to deter people from suspecting real conspirators of real conspiracies. Whatever - something is messed up in the world today.

Messenger operates separately from FB...but you have to sign in -through- FB. I did that the last couple of months after I deactivated my account because I was selling a family property and the group chat feature was a lifesaver.

@Highway-Starr Yeah, signing back in to facebook is how to re-enable facebook after disabling it.

@ElizabethI - Somehow it didn't re-activate the FB account I had deactivated though, that I know of anyway.

2

Good, let us know how working out for you, I may follow.

1

Yesterday, I had to find a phone number/ contact for a semi friend who does insulation...so I looked on FB (amongst other places)....I saw that I have 15 notifications on the little globe. Do I care? NOPE! (I knew this would be hardest part) I got his phone number and left

twill Level 7 Feb 28, 2018

Ok..I've snuck back in. Have not done anything. Checked my updates. I had to message someone......no phone #. Funny thing is....I don't want to stick around. It's almost like I am creeping around someplace that doesn't belong to me.

1

1st Day without was a breeze.... I was busy. It was a great day! Now it's 4 a.m. and I can't sleep...and I'm not even tempted.

twill Level 7 Feb 27, 2018
1

I have been slowly moving away from FB. I use it to keep track of family and friends and get ideas from other crochet addicts. Otherwise, it ain't what it used to be.

1

I have heard of this and it cost some friendships because I felt that I was being punished for something that doesn't concern me. If your just not going to post but peek and see whats going on then your not doing much. I have thought about getting off of it all together some times because of the stupidity and revelations about people that I never had any idea ever existed before. I post things of concern and could give a shit what anyone else thinks. Your right about a lot of phony trash is displayed and some of it is very phony, but you have to realize how phony you were never aware of before.

1

I can't join you because I administer a group on FB but I wish I could. For those who want to boost their FB mojo, I suggest getting a cat, naming it Tesla, and then photograph your cat with open-carry firearms in a Walmart.

1

The only reason I open fb is to see my mom's art and my niece and nephew. It took forever of unfollowing and blocking where all I see now is my mom, niece and nephew at the top and the crap if I scroll, which I rarely ever do. I browse this site, and deviant art waaaay more

1

I have to admit that FB is still the contact me and over 25 years later lovers still keep in touch. For all the negativity... my lovers are cherished as much now as in the last century. Sometimes we don't break up.... we just postponed while living another life.

1

I'll join you. I'm in the habit of opening it in the morning and leaving the tab open all day, checking in once in a while.
How do I keep messenger only?

You can leave the messenger app installed. It will work on its own.

Yes, Messenger operates as an independent app. But you may have to sign in -through- Facebook if you clear your cache or restart your computer.

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