I feel pretty silly talking about this, but, I was thinking about deactivating or deleting my FB. I'm 25 and I feel like I spend way too much time on that website for someone my age and could be doing things that are more productive. Also, I keep comparing myself/my life to other's and it's bringing me down. On the other hand, it's a convenient way to keep in touch with people. Sadly, I have no idea what I could do all day with no job or school going on at the moment.
no idea what to do all day?
- knit
- cook
- volunteer (animal shelter, old people, etc)
- learn to run
- learn to run faster
- take up yoga (yogajournal.com has free podcasts)
- walk around town
- walk around town more
- read books
- read more books
- clean your house
- take up meditation
As far as the FB issue, I usually hide people's profiles if i'm starting to feel myself comparing myself to them.
Facebook is Fakebook. I know plenty of people make it seem as though their life is rainbows and roses but knowing them very personally I know it's nowhere near. I get envious of those that get to go on vacation all the time (I wish) other than that I block those from my newsfeed that constantly gloat about having "perfect husbands" and "perfect kids". It gets nauseating.
I spend less and less time on FB in recent days. I'm almost 38 and have to try to stay in real life and less in the fantasy world. No sense in comparing.
I recently deleted my FB account on account of the fact that I just don't like the details of the site. I don't like the invasion of privacy and the information sharing. I also found that some of the people I know are really annoying when you give them a forum to post random blobs of nonsense. You will likely be better off without it, once the withdrawal symptoms subside. The fake sense of connection is not real. Get out into real life with real people in your community, and you will be better off for it.
A little over 3 years ago I started volunteering at a therapeutic riding center (we work with mentally and physically disabled adults and children on horseback) and it literally changed my life! I volunteered for a couple of years and now am becoming a certified instructor and am employed as the horse trainer!
When I started I had no job, had just finished school and had no clue...I'm not sure I was on facebook then, but I am a huge fan of volunteering.
I like FB for keeping up with extended family and friends. Close family and friends are local and HERE, so no real need to FB. I also keep up with volunteer pals/needs/news that way. But I don't volunteer that way except for one group who I manage the organization FB page for.
Get busy living and doing esteemable things. That's how you grow your own self esteem - by DOING esteemable things.
This comparing yourself to others business? Well, you see how it drains your own esteem. And who is doing the comparing anyway? YOU. So cut it out and visit the other side of the coin -- finding out what fills you up instead.
And you do THAT by doing and experimenting to find what really interests you.
I deleted my Facebook profile a few months ago for all the reasons mentioned by others. I didn't like the invasion of privacy, I didn't like getting friend requests from people who are no longer friends for a reason or who I was never friends with to begin with, I didn't like the "Fakebook" aspect, it was a time waster, and I didn't like the way my feelings got hurt when I would find I was "unfriended" by a few folks (I felt silly for being hurt, but at the same time, also knew that their gesture was meant to be hurtful). All in all, I haven't missed being on Facebook one bit.
a great tool to help one lose weight and find people that "get it"
but if all you do is stay here to post and read...
then 3FC is harmful to your goal.
I'm glad your brought up time spent on 3FC. I find myself spending 1.5 to 2 hours on this website everyday! Part of it is get useful weight loss advice, but most of it is to feel that sense of belonging. I don't have that sense of belonging to a group/community in real life.
How many hours do most posters spend time on 3FC each day? Just curious...
If deactivation is the only way you would stop going on it, do it. Sometimes you need a break. I have taken a few facebook breaks, but always end up going back. I find that sometimes in the period of a month, I've missed a lot.
I also fall into the trap of being brought down by all the fabulous happenings I'm not at and all the happiness I'm not a part of... I recently had to remind myself of everything that I do have! I don't like to focus on the fact that much of what is presented on Facebook is fake; it somehow seems mean to me, and I just feel meaner and meaner and meaner. But it is true, at least on my feed, the folks that seem to be having the most wonderful time are usually the folks that are barely hanging on.
When I need a reboot, I just leave it alone for a while. If you can't leave it alone, then maybe remove certain friends from your feed?
I'm back on, but I did actually set one very close friend to "important only" (which means zero, huzzah!) because I was sick to death of "it" and I am not going to allow Facebook to drive me crazy, and possibly destroy a friendship. She's an idiot on FB but fairly awesome IRL, so with love, I blocked her *ss. Heh. That's another option for you. I can always click her name and go look at her page when I want an update, and somehow, that bothers me much, much less.
I love Facebook. I use it to keep in touch with all my family & friends over seas.
I have always been poor and unable to do many of the things most people do. But I don't get upset when I see others with awesome lives etc because I would prefer people to be happy than complain all the time. Those are the people I hide. I don't want to hear about people's marriage issues etc.
I agree if you don't like it, take a break from it. Same as anything in life.
I LOVE FB! I'm not a jealous person so it doesn't bother me what others do and the privacy issues...there are settings for what you want people to see. YOU control what others read and see. And you DON'T have to add every person who friends you, I don't. I have seen people with anywhere from 100 to over 1000 friends and just think, do they REALLY know these people or is is just a contest over who can get the most, lol. I talk with ALL who are on my FB, not everyday but I do and I don't add people for the sake of adding them. I DO try to limit my time because I am hooked on the games, lol. I still get things done.
Facebook's Effects
Part of it is get useful weight loss advice, but most of it is to feel that sense of belonging. I don't have that sense of belonging to a group/community in real life. 
