Member-only story
You Are Entitled To Delete Your Facebook Account
On the social imperative to be on Facebook.
I did it again. For the second time in my life, I deleted my Facebook account. No, not deactivated. Deleted.
I am intentionally using short sentences to make this sound adequately dramatic. Because, apparently, it is controversial. It is not what you are supposed to do, I learned.
Other people expect me to be on Facebook.
I don’t know whether you considered getting off Facebook — but since you clicked this headline, I suspect this may be the case. And if it is, I am coming to remind you — in case you forgot — that you are fully entitled to decide which social media you want to use. Or if you want to use them at all.
Maybe I need to articulate this for myself, too — because lately, I’ve been having the impression that being on Facebook is a kind of social imperative.
I first got rid of Facebook in 2014. Back then, I didn’t feel like it was a big deal. I realized I was better off without it and that my life actually didn’t change that much. So I remained facebookless all the way until 2017.
That was the year when I started putting my first articles online and felt compelled to “build my personal brand.” And how could I do this without…
