When Orkut was introduced I joined on it very late and by the time I was getting familiar of its features I switched to Facebook in late 2009 and started using it actively from 2010. If you notice my "Monthwise Archives", you could see that I was very actively blogging in 2007/2008/2009.. the blog count was on steady rise because I was using this blog as a platform for expression and I used to receive hundreds of visitors everyday. I easily covered more than a lakh visitors in an year.
I used to get comments and mails from the readers that they could see my personal growth in those articles. Encouraged by their words I also used to write ealborately and regularly. But ever since I started using Facebook, I started expressing myself in short status messages rather than elaborate posts. Over a period of time I started updating the status messages more than once a day. Whatever I felt I just updated. In the due course of time, it affected my way of expression - the ability to think & dwelve into a thought and writing it as blogposts. Since I had already expressed it in status message already, I didn't feel like writing a blog on that. The "Monthwise Archives" will show the slide in my writing.
Other than affecting this writing habit, Facebook brought peer pressure kind of thing which started affecting me. The number of "notifications" which used to be gratifying initially later turned to be matter of concern. Login to the Facebook profile to see that there are no or lesser notifications used to depress. In that process I started pouring out more of myself spreading across thin for the world to see. I wanted to prove the world that my life is "also happening" as like others in my friends circle. I never bothered to think that they also might have problems like I have in my life.. All I did was I got carried away by those "picture perfect" moments, started comparing myself and tried to prove that I too am as vivacious as them. When I couldn't match them my self esteem started taking a beating.
Many of the "spontaneous" or unthought status messages turned out to be the reminder of the scars when I visited them later time. Sweet memories may be soothing to revist but others are not. This taught me a lesson that I should not put everything in my social networking profile.
With due respect to my friends, when I looked at the list of my friends in my social networking profile I realised that except a handful of people, most of the others are adding no value to my life.. I can't depend on them for a shoulder to be lent or any contribution towards the betterment of my personality. I realised that I was just providing a timepass to them. I am in touch with people who matter me a lot via emails or call them which in other words is a "personal" communication, not any messages thrown at a group. I find this satisfying and qualitative.
People used to say that when you quit from social networking all of a sudden, you'll face withdrawl symptoms. On contrary I didn't feel anything of such sort, may be because I had chosen to quit social media as a last retort. I deactivated my profile on mid November for a week initially and subsequently deactivated indefinitely. I hadn't contacted Facebook to delete my profile because I have so many timeline entries that involve my kid's growth and had tagged him in those posts. I don't want to lose those posts, hence this deactivation instead of deletion.
Currently I am just looking after myself, my activities and I am not bothered by what my friends are doing. I am not feeling the pangs of "being unsuccessful" thoughts. Instead I am concentrating on what I should do in my life. Ofcourse my broadcasting urge (being a Gemini, it is uncontrollable) is satiated by having a very small Whatsapp group that has 6 of my close friends and we share messages when we have something to say with others.
I still use a "dummy" Facebook profile to administer my pages - Online Galatta and Easy Learn SAP. Other than this I am not using the social media for anything. One fine morning I let all the friends go whom I had accumulated and entertained over a period of 6 years and it didn't make any difference in my life. That is the social media for you!
