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Study: Staying off Facebook can make you happier

qz.com

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Re: Study: Staying off Facebook can make you happier

#101

Post by TeMPOraL »

cortesoft wrote: post #34
musesum wrote: post #26

Same goes with TV: http://lifehacker.com/5095892/happy-people-watch-less-tv-stu... Is it about social status? Or is it the ADs? ADs seek out holes to fill with product. Ad-support-media use analytics to more effectively show me my particular holes. After a while, I begin to feel empty.

It might also be the passive nature of the two activities.... browsing facebook and watching TV are very passive activities. You do not use your creativity or skills to do them; happy people tend to do more creative and constructive things.

A lot depends on the way one uses it. Personally, I (and many of my friends) use it the same way I use HN - I post interesting stuff and engange in long, asynchronous discussions that sometimes span many days.

Re: Study: Staying off Facebook can make you happier

#102

Post by thedayturns »

themartorana wrote: post #97
thedayturns wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Agh, this thread is just full of people boasting about their immunity to interest in Facebook. Congratulations, you're fantastic, oh that we could all be as enlightened as you. And now you're doing the same exact thing they are - boasting about how you're superior to everyone else. Is it possible for us to have discussions without these signaling-laden put downs? Just say what you want to say and try to refrain fro…

It's not always possible to make a point without the suggestion or implication that the alternative to the point is a lesser choice. So why beat about the bush - if you mean to say that there are angles to a thing that are inferior, just say it. Not everything can be so inclusive. For instance, I think anyone that believes the pyramids were built to store grain is inferior to scientists that can tell me why they were…

It's absolutely possible. Compare OP with OP with the first sentence elided. Just as much insight with 100% less superiority.

Re: Study: Staying off Facebook can make you happier

#103

Post by firebones »

georgemcbay wrote: post #61
ldd wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I know this might sound like a really non-efficient thing to do, but you can individually unfollow every single one of your contacts. I only have around ~200 friends so unfollowing them wasn't that hard. Nowadays, I love going to Facebook. My news feed is completely empty.

I don't go to that extreme, but I did find Facebook was much more manageable when I started just unfollowing anyone whose posts/reshares annoyed me more than a couple of times. I've probably only unfollowed about 10% of my total friends list, but the difference is immense, a lot of the noise tends to come from a small subset of the people, in my experience.

This is a missed opportunity. As Shirky points out, social media is "publish, then filter", and you've found a powerful filter that lets you reap the benefits. (And he also points out power laws--10% of the people in your feed post 90% of the garbage.)

While I don't log in to Facebook more than once every six months, your observation gives me hope that I might be able to find some utility in it.

Re: Study: Staying off Facebook can make you happier

#105

Post by jupiter90000 »

ldd wrote: post #35
mrchess wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I used this for a while but noticed it greatly slowed down my Facebook in general. Ended up uninstalling it after a few days. Wish they had a lighter weight one.

I know this might sound like a really non-efficient thing to do, but you can individually unfollow every single one of your contacts. I only have around ~200 friends so unfollowing them wasn't that hard. Nowadays, I love going to Facebook. My news feed is completely empty.

I love this approach personally. Unfollowing almost everyone (except for a few I actually want to see) has it so I usually am OK with going on there now without feeling exasperated. I'm learning a foreign language so I began following people I don't even know who use that language so I can get practice reading it. I'm trying to make it work for my needs instead of completely checking in or out of the whole thing.

Re: Study: Staying off Facebook can make you happier

#106

Post by frame_perfect »

quacker wrote: post #54

Facebook was a great form of communication in high school and college, for events and meeting up with classmates and things. Afterwards, people drifted apart and it became kind of an empty place - hundreds of friends but only a handful I kept in touch with. As time went on and as my friends list stagnated, facebook kept me attached to the past ("that was so much fun, wasn't it?"). It covered some 7-8 years of my life…

How old are you? I'm 21 and feel the same way, although it was the tail end of middle school, all of high school, and freshman year of college. So around 2008-2013.

Re: Study: Staying off Facebook can make you happier

#107

Post by Roritharr »

I found Facebook to really affect my moods in a distressing manner.

I use Facebook occupationally and like its Messenger and Groups a lot so leaving was out of the question. So I bit the bullet and unfollowed all of my friends. Now Facebook is a glorified News Feed for me and I am noticably more serene.

Re: Study: Staying off Facebook can make you happier

#109

Post by hopfog »

I love Facebook. Definitely makes my life a lot better. I use it to:

* stay in touch with friends

* know what events are up (my group of friends create events even for very small gatherings)

* find out about new music from the artists I like

* find interesting links and news about programming/tech (from a group I follow)

* read interesting discussions about programming/tech (same group)

* see interesting posts about indie games and indie game development in general (another group)

* see what people I've long lost contact with are up to nowadays

Re: Study: Staying off Facebook can make you happier

#110

Post by bigbugbag »

jayvanguard wrote: post #44
untog wrote: post #25

Agh, this thread is just full of people boasting about their immunity to interest in Facebook. Congratulations, you're fantastic, oh that we could all be as enlightened as you. Personally, I find that Facebook has become my address book - while I still text people I see every day, Messenger group chats are often used instead. Plus the voice and video calls have been a great way to keep up with people further afield.…

I'm Not on Facebook is the new I Don't Own a TV.

Well, one could argut that it would rather the new "I'm not on myspace, friendster, orkut, livejournal,…" but to stay in check with reality it ought to be "I'm not on aol" for aol was the only one of those to be a walled garden experiment. The "I don't own a TV" is often deceiving as people without a TV usually watch their TV content on youtube, streaming or download. How many do not have a TV but have not missed a single game of thrones ?
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