‘Harmful’ side effects of quitting Facebook
JOSEPH HOLANDES UBALDE
But because I still care for you, I’m writing to warn you of the long-term side effects your drastic “FB-ectomy” will bring you in the coming days. Let me enumerate:
Firstly, now that you’ve removed Facebook in your life, you will no longer get a daily dose of “Facebook Envy.” Beginning today, when you look in the mirror, you will see a slight glow in your face and you’d stop squeezing your love handles, wishing they were invisible like your friend Charlie, wearing that swimsuit.
A 2015 University of Copenhagen study showed that those who abstain from Facebook have less tendencies of being jealous of their friends’ perceived accomplishments on social media. In a test involving 1,095 individuals, the brave souls who remained loyal to Facebook rated their life satisfaction at 7.74 out of 10. Meanwhile, the cowards who stopped using the platform rated it at 8.11.
The report’s author, Morten Tromholt was quoted as saying: “If one is a heavy Facebook user, one should use Facebook less to increase one’s well-being.” That’s a bunch of alternative facts, if you ask me!
Secondly, now that you’re no longer on Facebook, your 5,000 friends will be reduced to a measly 150. How did you lose 4,850 online compadres in an instant? Well, blame British evolutionary anthropologist Robin Dunbar who posited that 150 is the manageable number of individuals whom a person can maintain stable relationships with, all thanks of course to how our brains are wired.
According to “Dunbar’s Number” that 150 friends are made up of 5 intimate friends, 15 good friends (including the 5 intimate friends), 50 friends (including the 5 intimate and 15 good friends), and 150 acquaintances ( all- encompassing).
Apparently, this number has historical basis. Farmers in the Neolithic Period are known to converge in communities of 150 people. Roman military armies have about 150 soldiers. Even the US jury is composed of 12 angry men (and women). So that’s it: 150 friends that your brain can handle and you could spend meaningful relationships with! Say sayonara to those virtual friends you collected. Adios to adding new friends and say farewell to thousands of friend requests that made you feel like a millionaire in Monopoly.
And lastly, now that you’re devoid of your daily dose of vitamin FB, your brain will spend a lot of time doing the most mundane of all activities: thinking.
Thinking about what exactly? Maybe you should consult Dr. Srini Pillay of the Harvard Medical School who wrote about the
According to him, when our minds wander, “it activates circuits in the brain that helps you maintain a sense of self, understand what others are thinking more accurately, become creative, and even predict the future.” Without it, you would be disconnected from yourself and others as well.
So in theory, the saying, “an idle mind is the devil’s workshop,” could actually also mean, “a wandered
But don’t you worry. You can still reverse the harmful effects of prolonged non-exposure to Facebook. After all, there are currently 3.196 billion active social media users all over the world, of which, some 2 billion are using Facebook monthly.
And Facebook relapse is real. A UK study showed that social media use is described as “more addictive than cigarette and alcohol.” In fact, there are 67 million Filipinos who can’t say no to logging on to Facebook every month.
The country’s telco giants have also made FB free for its subscribers, making it the popular choice
Why would anyone choose to be content with one’s own life and stop comparing themselves to their friends’ rosy lifestyle? Who would choose building lasting relationships with an intimate few when you can be a professional social
up or a diet pill to millions online? And why think when you can busy yourself with the constant clicking of emojis?
So what’s it going to be? Can you bear with the consequences when you #DeleteFacebook?
(Note:Thiscolumnwasinspired byNBCnews’onlinefeature: “Whattodoafteryoudelete Facebook”)