I’m one of those people who is driven crazy by Facebook and yet can’t seem to walk away from it. I’m driven to the edge of insanity by memes filled with misinformation, and since Trump’s “announcement” my feed has been filled with them (not to mention the ones about guns and abortion). I found myself commenting on them and pointing out the factual errors, but it didn’t take long to realize that the people who post these things really don’t care about the truth – they post them for shock value or because they truly believe them to be true, regardless of what the evidence says. So a month ago, I decided to revamp my settings and delete the app from my phone to save myself the trouble and it’s been liberating. If you find yourself in similar situation, then these 5 tips will help you regain your sanity.
Uninstall Facebook from your phone.
This is key. Facebook is so easy to check on your phone when you’re on the go or waiting in line at the grocery store. The simple tap of a finger sucks you into the void and it can be hard to find your way out. Once you delete the app from your phone, you’ll find yourself posting less and, more importantly, posting better quality links. This is because sharing a status becomes more difficult and so you’ll only take the time to share things that matter. Or, at least, that’s the theory.
Utilize the “Unfollow” option
I don’t know why it took me so long to take advantage of this feature but it’s saved my sanity. Facebook allows you to unfollow people without actually unfriending them, so you can save your relationships (personal and professional) without having to see that person’s updates. Everyone has that “friend” who posts inaccurate meme after meme, and this is the way to avoid seeing it. It’s simple and effective and will make your timeline much more pleasant.
Unfriend people
Unfriend people you don’t talk to. I have a rule that if I am not related to you and haven’t had any communication with you in six months, then it’s time for you to go. Ditto for people who bring me down. For me, Facebook is a place for me to share personal thoughts and photos, so there’s no need for me to remain friends who have shown no interest in that part of my life. It sounds harsh and unfriending people causes a lot of people anxiety, but when you’re free from worrying about who will see what, it’s also very rewarding.
Turn off notifications
Have you ever commented on a post only to get 50 notifications from every other person who commented on it? I have and it’s very annoying. It seems rude not to congratulate a new mom or a recent wedding, but the onslaught of notifications sometimes leaves me hesitant. So, when you start getting those pesky notifications, simply pull up the original post and turn off notifications. That way, you can be a good Facebook friend without suffering the consequences of doing so.
Utilize the “I don’t want to see this” function
Every status update has that little arrow in the top right corner, and one of the options under it is “I don’t want to see this”. I’ve underutilized this feature in the past but I’m loving it right now. What’s great about it is that it filters out types of posts, meaning you don’t have to unfollow a person altogether or report it for being inappropriate. It’s simply a little notice to Facebook that no, you don’t want to see political memes, and please remove them.