There comes a time in every person’s life when a drastic choice is made on a whim. For some reason I thought it would be a good idea to delete my Facebook account. Keep in mind that you can’t truly delete your account, you can only deactivate it. This makes it possible to go back whenever you’re ready. Which is most likely the day after you deactivate your profile. After being off of Facebook for two weeks, this is how my coping process played out:
1. Denial. I felt as though I didn’t really delete my Facebook. I could go back whenever I wanted. It was still there. My friends were right where I left them in case I needed them. Of course, I would eventually need to retrieve some pictures off of my profile as well, so I knew I would be back soon.
2. Anger. Whenever people asked me if I deleted my Facebook, it made me upset. Aren’t I the center of everyone’s Facebook? Do they really have to ask? Of course I deleted it! I’m not a clone like everyone else! I can live a life without a stupid website if I want to! No one understands me!
3. Bargaining. Sometimes after a shock, a person will recount the events in their head and see where they might have reacted the wrong way. Maybe I should’ve waited to see if anyone got engaged or posted wedding photos. Okay, here’s the deal–if I go on Facebook just to quickly check for juicy pictures, I won’t go on again for another month.
4. Depression. This was the time that I was feeling like I made a horrible choice. I felt like I was misunderstood and others didn’t comprehend my motives for quitting. During this phase, reassurance definitely helped me to know that I made a good choice. It’s hard to bid a loved one farewell.
5. Acceptance. Understanding that I didn’t need Facebook to have friends and stay in touch with people was a great awakening. I felt proud knowing that a website didn’t control my life and that I could leave any time I wanted to. I no longer felt that I needed to see every single picture that one of my friends posted or every status update about New Years Eve.
That being said, I missed Facebook a lot. And it helped to know that people missed me a lot too. People noticed my absence. So I stayed off Facebook for two weeks and shuffled my feet back. And it’s good to be back on my old familiar Facebook.
Lily In Canada 