Social media wouldn't be what it is if it wasn't for the reach of Facebook. There have been other social networks before it and many continue to just co-exist, but none have managed to become as addictive as Facebook. Or as big.
For some it has become near impossible to leave the network - for business reasons or socio-cultural reasons. Many individuals have more online friends than offline ones. And businesses have built captive audiences via their Facebook pages to sell to.
However, after the Facebook-Cambridge-Analytica controversy involving misuse of private data, many are wondering if it's possible to actually live without this social network? In other words, is it really possible to #deleteFacebook?
Internet poster-boy Elon Musk, the co-founder of Space X and Tesla, deleted his company's Facebook pages. If he could, why can't you? It's not that easy. Here's why:
What's to Lose?
A lifetime of memories
Facebook has slowly and steadily started becoming the one-stop platform for many to share their lifetime memories. Be it a trekking trip a decade ago, to scanned photographs from school, to your latest vacation, it has provided a convenient platform to share what's going on in your life with friends and relatives.
It also makes it a convenient repository for these memories. Deleting Facebook, would mean you would have to download and store all these albums. And with them, go the comments and likes they have gathered.
Login access to multiple apps
Deleting Facebook would also probably mean losing access to multiple apps that support Facebook login. This, in fact, has been the centre of the whole controversy. Some shopping apps, music apps, payment apps and even dating apps use Facebook logins as a means of verifying signups. One would have to choose alternate signup methods for these.
Easy access to event information
Over the years, many companies and individuals have resorted to using Facebook as an event planner. They post events calendars on Facebook and collect information on who is attending. This makes it easy to plan the event going by the easy responses. Getting off Facebook, would mean companies and people would have to resort to mass mailing or messaging people about events.
Forgetting important dates
This one's a bummer. There are apps that store information on people's birthdays and anniversaries, but they involve having to manually enter them or have all these people sign up on the app. However, it was easy with Facebook, as this information was readily available and if an individual chose to share his or her birthday information (in privacy settings), their friends would be notified easily.
Easy marketing to captive audiences
For companies, the biggest loss by deleting Facebook would be the ability to reach out to their audiences easily and dynamically. With many companies resorting to direct marketing through Facebook or showcasing their products through sponsored posts and ads, getting off this social network would mean having to hunt for other tools that could deliver similar results.
Is It Possible To Stay Off Facebook?
Yes it is. There is life beyond Facebook, and as a number of individuals we spoke to say, it seems like a more rewarding life.
Arjun Ankathil, a techie from Bengaluru, has not been on Facebook for the past two years. But he has a pretty good social life, both online and offline.
After deleting the Facebook app, my phone works better. Two, I am spared all the political discussions, troll posts and fake news. And three, my mom can no longer tag me on stupid childhood photos!Arjun Ankathil, IT professional
Others are not off Facebook entirely, but have only deleted the Facebook app from their phones. They say it saves battery life and limits the time they spend staring at their phone screens. They do, however, check their Facebook accounts occasionally on the PC or laptop.
I am happy without being on Facebook on the phone. I check it on the PC only. That way I have more control over the time I spend on social networking.Dr. Ashique Thanduparakkal, Dermatologist
But isn't being off Facebook, keeping them away from their friends? How would they know what's happening in their friends lives? Many of those not on Facebook say the friendships they have offline are the more meaningful ones. Plus there are other social networks and messaging platforms through which they keep in touch - Quora, Twitter, Whatsapp and Instagram being a few.
The most important friends are anyways in touch when we go out or speak on the phone. Without Facebook, I get more time to exercise also.Puneet Bhatia, Media Professional
However, there's a catch. Although one may get off Facebook, it's not possible to do away with all social media. Everyone admits to having multiple apps for communication or sharing some information. This includes Twitter, Snapchat, WeChat, Hike and others. Incidentally, Whatsapp and Instagram, which are among the most popular, are also part of the Facebook ecosystem, having been acquired by the company.
Friendship is an investment. I use messaging apps to keep in touch and only add those who I know well enough.S Anand, Product Design Consultant
So while it is possible to stay off Facebook, it does involve making an effort with multiple other apps to stay in touch or share your memories. Facebook has consolidated it all in one app or site and that's what makes it addictive. It has something for everyone - photos, news, social commentary or just simply catering to human curiosity.
And chances are you've come across this article through Facebook!
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