I know this is off topic, but I want to say that I don't dislike fb. The experience I shared was upsetting, but generally I enjoy it. In the terms of current events (what people are doing now with their lives) I never feel upset, jealous or like I'm living a crumby life. I actually enjoy seeing pics of people doing things I haven't. Travel, fitness, etc. I feel like if those things were that important to me, I've work to do them myself. I like my life and don't feel negative feelings when people post all the positives of there's. I actually get frustrated at the people that complain on facebook :P

I quit fb cold turkey last August and haven't logged in since then.
My problem is I like games and I quickly became a game addict. I had/have tons of strangers who are 'friends' so they could help me with my games. The games are oh-so-cleverly-designed to MAKE you get addicted by giving you rewards for logging in every day and then making certain tasks/virtual prizes available for a short time. I was spending HOURS every day to do my game 'chores'.
I enjoyed it--I even enjoyed the game playing groups I was in. But I also dealt with some really nasty drama and often had other people's behavior causing me to feel crummy in real life. Mostly I was appalled at myself [even when I was doing it] to be losing SO MUCH of my waking hours online.

since quitting fb I read more books, am very active in my crafting, watch more movies that I enjoy, clean my house more and overall enjoy what is happening around me much more!

I do have a few simple games on my cell phone and my new tablet. but they are solitaire games and do not require any type of community to play!

Thanks everyone for all of your posts!

I have such mixed feelings about FB. I get some great information on it; for me, it's sometimes like a time machine or finishing the end of a good book: I see how people ended up in their lives 30+ years later. (Basic stuff like what they do for a living, how many kids, where they live etc.)

I know how people sugar coat things on FB. One guy that I grew up with posted what an "ideal typical 1960s suburban simple happy" childhood he had. He also talks about how great things are now. I grew up 3 doors down from him and I know a lot about his history. His adoptive parents had a bad relationship. His father wanted nothing to do with the family and his mother committed suicide when we were seniors in high school. He has been through numerous divorces and relationships ( that are posted on FB and then taken off of FB). His daughter is now in prison for credit card fraud and theft. He and his family have had a very tough time.

No wonder people want to present themselves in the best way possible. No one wants to broadcast the bad things in their lives. Also, now prospective employers check on people through social media, so everyone has to be careful about what they post.

Also, I think FB can be a way for people who don't make friends easily or who want to reconnect with people from the past, to feel more connected.

For me, when I react strongly to something on FB, I feel like it's my issues that I need to look at, and why I feel the way I do.

I will probably stay with it but in very small doses.

i just want to share those wise words with you:

"strong people don't put others down, they lift them up"

so with having that in mind you know, that everybody who bullied you did that to strengthen themselves, which implies weakness...so you are not the victims in fact, these people are. and if they dont feel sorry by now, they will suffer later...

I have to use fb for networking as part of my career. I enjoy it but I also realize that "things aren't as they seem on tv" so to speak. I know very well that people only put things there that they want others to see. I also know that people post in order to get attention. I can't be upset about that but if it does start to cause a little tension and angst in me I do shut it down for breaks.

I ran into an old friend the other day and he said to me "on facebook you look really good and seem very happy." and I said "how do I look in real life?" so I suppose I'm guilty of it too, I paint a picture without even really realizing it. Seriously though, of course I'm going to post a picture of me and my toddler making cookies together, what a happy picture! I sure as heck ain't posting a picture of my toddler having a meltdown, but meltdowns do occur.

Thanks again for everyone's great posts!

Jerah, thank you so much for your words of wisdom. I will try to keep remembering that.

I quit FB cold turkey in mid November and stayed off for 4 months. I could go into numerous details of the things that were hurtful to me but the bottom line is I found myself spending too much time on people with whom I have no relationship and feeling left out by those I do. I recognize that it is my own issue that I am affected by these things so that is why I made the choice to remove myself from the constant feed of information. After 4 months I definitely felt better about myself (in many realms, not necessarily weight related) and was able to comfortably decide to open a new account on FB where I only allow 'friends' who are family. All that being said I really do think FB has watered down the definition of friendship and enabled folks, in general, to often do the bare minimum to maintain those friendships. I am a little anti-FB now but I think each person has to decide the best way to use it and whether it is okay for them.

I'm pretty neutral about FB, actually. I'm on it and check it most days but don't do a lot of posting. I was neither popular or teased in school because I was pretty shy and didn't socialize much (but not overweight). I have always been a solitary animal so others' opinions of me didn't concern me. My daughter is very similar to me in that regard, and I've always been grateful for that.

But I digress.

I stay on FB for two reasons; one, it's a great way to stay in touch with my rather large extended family, and it allowed me to organize a big family reunion in 2010 in which I located out-of-state cousins that I'd not seen or heard from in almost 40 years. Three of these same cousins (all from one family) came to the reunion from across the country and we still stay in very close touch, mostly through FB.

I also use it to enter sweepstakes, which is a hobby of mine. There are many legitimate sweepstakes on FB (and some scams as well, but I know the difference).

If it weren't for those two things I'd have probably gotten off FB years ago.

you are welcome! and if you one day forget about those words, I'll remind you again

But i'm pretty sure, you are "doing your best"