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Why did you leave Facebook? On
the one hand, I enjoyed checking posts
and photos posted by good friends I
don’t speak to that often. You can sort
of keep up with everyone’s lives. But
I also realized that it made me really
anxious, the pressure I put on myself.
I kept feeling like I had to post a quick
response, even though I didn’t actually
have the time or energy for it. So much
information was crowding my brain
that I didn’t have room for: posts from
people I barely know and reminders to
congratulate them, even though I would
never do this in real life. I also started to
get more and more irritated with the
negative posts in a few Facebook
groups, about a trash bag that was put
out next to the bin, again, for example.
I couldn’t just put the responses out of
my mind; Facebook kept pulling me out
of the here-and-now.
Was it hard to leave? No, this is
better for me. I’m already getting
bombarded enough with emails and
phone calls at work. I do training
courses now and then for work, which
is also why I’ve tried to create more
peace and quiet. My phone is
permanently set to silent mode in my
bag. I want to be able to keep my
attention where it belongs and not be
disturbed. I often leave my phone at
home when I leave the house. I hear
constant beeps and ringtones from
others and am so happy I don’t have
to hear my own.What does the outside world
think of your new habit?
I hear that it’s often hard to get in touch
with me. This is true, but secretly I love
it. I get anxious when people want all
sorts of things from me. When I’m on
vacation, I also prefer not to get calls
or messages. I just want to be free for
a little while and disengage from all my
obligations. I’ll just tell people when I
get home how my vacation was. I keep
hearing that more and more people I
know have left Facebook. In today’s
world, you have to make a conscious
choice of what you can live without
and would rather not see. And if I
want to speak to ‘real’ friends from
Facebook, I’d rather do this with my
full attention, and in real life. >Nathalie Castricum (46, activity coordinator) left Facebook,
and her phone is permanently set to silent mode.