Desperately want to delete my Facebook and Instagram accounts. Have thousands of photos on both but that’s a solvable problem. The more difficult issue is those are my only connections to honestly about 90% of IRL friends & family, and I really don’t want to see many if any of them here on Bluesky.
You can’t win for losing so delete often.
Connect with them IRL only. If you can't see them in person, send them a text, write a letter, give them a phone call.
I did it 3 or 4 years ago. I didn’t want them then and definitely don’t now. I just left cold turkey, like alcohol for me. Does it suck some, yes. But it was worth it. Me reading what I typed, reads a lot like leaving addiction and the people in it, probably because it is.
I realized that I don’t have enough time in the day for people I love. If I miss you I will reach out. They still have a phone number or a Email. If they miss me they can pay the site $39.99 to find me. Or in my case, just get the spelling of my name right because I’m the only one in the world 😆
Facebook kicked me out forever without an explanation and that's what I miss the most were all the photos/videos I had saved..as well as the friends I had all over the world..I have no way of reconnecting with them...regret that I didn't have all their email addresses saved somewhere...
Same.
I’ve been embracing group chats and just texting family/friends. I have a few lovely friends that have moved into either snail mail or voice memo exchanges.
My aunties group chat is like the best warm hug and love in my pocket — their pep talks have gotten me through some shit days 💖
Check out Gander…
I got rid of both of mine right around January. I do miss some stuff but my family now calls and texts me and that is more personal. Whoever really wants me can reach me other ways.
Ditto... I did the same with IG & Threads, didn't ever have X/Twitter.
I never had twitter and got rid of threads. Never used my IG. I get enough news and such here.
Literally same.
I wish more people where here from those places Blu sky needs better ad teams or they at least need to run more ads when and if they start making real money .......even running ads on Republican platforms would be good breaking people from lies should be the biggest goal of this year
Deleting FB was one of the best decisions I've ever made. If folx don't make connections with you offline...are they really part of your life?
Bite the bullet. Find another platform. Gander will be starting up soon.
Another option is to scale back on using FB and Instagram. Limit yourself to a few minutes a day or even once a week. To tell you the truth I don't like posting pictures of my life for some kind of electronic historical record or to inform people what I am doing.
Just do it! 😤😄
Having Groups on Bluesky will be helpful.
That’s why I only deactivated instead of deleting my FB account. I haven’t been on there for years (with no plans to go back), but if I need to reach certain people, that’s pretty much the only way it’d happen.
I don’t know, maybe use the phone? Like to call them?
😂
Boomers are so broken, it's truly amazing.
I just love the idea that the solution to the social media platform I built my whole digital community through twenty years ago is phone calls. A community I cultivated specifically because decentralized and asynchronous "keeping up" with 1000 acquaintances appeals more than 1 on 1 phone calls.
"Hey babe, we hooked up at a queer music festival thirteen years ago and I've enjoyed seeing pictures of your art occasionally but we haven't spoken since that summer. Uh, tell me about your life!"
I honestly can't imagine not vibing with someone named "FreightTrainDisco."
You're going to be so disappointed but welcome to the nuthouse for as long as you're feeling it.
20 somethings are still using insta to communicate, flirt and hook up. Straight boomers so out of touch with reality they carpeted their houses with astroturf.
Or that that community can be reduced to this one singular way of connecting, despite the fact the written form is both more flexible and not dependent on synchrony.
Right, for me at least all of my social media ecosystem evolved out of Livejournal. Group chats are for family & close friends. FB was for having a tapestry of interesting people I've connected with over the years, and I'd like for it not to be a fascist hellscape!
I still have one mutual on here from that era. And elsewhere I have others. It's decades of interaction. Community is where you make it but it's also very difficult to move. It's partly why mastodon didn't take off for lots of people on the community. Or Google Plus.
yeah we're all rebuilding from the wreckage of the Brand New Super Intelligent Hyper-Optimized internet that monetized everything we've ever loved and rendered it to pillars of salt. I tried mastadon, but I'm an idiot and the tech knowledge barrier to entry was too damn high.
I also tried it (even as a geek with significant knowledge) and it was just too much. Very German, very binary thinking "I am right and I'm going to well actually you until you delete your account". The way it was presented wasn't palatable and the powerful who pushed many gay/queer servers offline.
I also want to delete my Meta accounts. Haven’t done it yet but I don’t have the apps on my phone. I have family & friends in other countries. I’ve also realized that staying “connected” is an illusion. I’ve given them a few weeks notice that I’m deleting and no one has reached out.
You can restrict your Facebook, remove all picture and just keep it for connecting!
I deactivated mine as I needed those connections just in case. Reactivated it last week to grab a few photos but what a cesspool. Deactivated it again.
A great solution
Buy a "cellphone" with a "text messaging application". You can even use something called an electronic mail, or "email", to communicate over the "world wide web".
“Get fucked”
I get the hesitation. I did it in Jan. Posted my plan a weekend prior. Had many people I know message me for email/text info. I don't recall about IG, cuz I hated it - didn't use much, but FB for sure gives you 30 days to change your mind. Not sure if that makes it easier for u to push the button.
Same, but I did it and don't regret it. PS Google how to backup your photos. It takes about 4 clicks to download all.
That was the hardest part for me as well I still miss Instagram sometimes because of the connections I had, but I cannot support it
I’m as well in the process to download all my data (hopefully) don’t know where to start on IG - have so many beautiful memories; but the place is a toxic can of sht these days. Any tips to get my data, pls share. Also, I’ve felt the most welcomed here at #blueskysocial it’s such a refresher 😮💨
I deleted mine and the real ones will still contact you. I have friends that do screengrabs and text me memes now, feels good when they go through all that trouble to stay in contact
Do it! I deleted fb and insta 2 months ago, best decision ever. I miss the people, but not the garbage that was on there.
50% of Facebook posts from non-friends are AI generated bullshit.
It’s a real problem
I had the same issue. Deleted FB and never looked back. If they are that important, they can call you.
No one calls people in 2025.
And therein lies the problem!
No, it doesn't.
🙄
I deleted my Meta accounts a few months ago. I gave all my friends good notice and provided about 8 alternative ways to keep in touch. Less than 10% connected with me in those other ways, so I wouldn't fret too much over losing those connections.
Same thing happened to me. I figure that if they can't make an effort to click over to another website or text or email, they really didn't value my friendship all that much anyway. So no big loss.
Exactly, I had ONE person reach out in 2 months, ONE out of 230...
I did the same and gave people advanced warning with my contact info. I was VERY anxious about leaving both Meta and X. However, the simple fact that I HAD so much anxiety about it, convinced me that I made the right decision. Now, I am content and people know where to reach me.
Hi Chris, What were the ways 8 ways? Looking to do the same.
Hey there. Here are the ways I offered everyone to keep in touch: Bluesky Signal Telegram Discord Snapchat My phone number My email address My home address For Instagram alternatives, I offered Flickr and Pixelfed.
Thanks. Appreciate it.
Same here, Meta and Zuck Suck, FB INSTA, REELS All gone
Same here. I was like, how important were those relationships, really? Did I place more importance on them than they with me? I have yet to go really invest in community around me cos I work so much, but it opened my eyes that I need to go out and cultivate in-person relationships.
It’s not an issue. Deleted Facebook. On 1/5/2020 (yep the day before). Still close to the same people and I don’t have to say Happy Birthday to random “friends.”
I did it. I am just fine . Don’t support Meta. You can get new friends. Or not. You will be fine
It’s actually liberating to do both and walk away from Meta
FB i only have for birthdays, some events. out of state or country friends or family that are not on other sites. but fb doesn't care about the truth. way too many trolls and bots on fb.
Lot of y'all don't have friends spread across multiple continents and it shows. 😄 No judgement, I'm stoked for you if you got off of Fb platforms, but I'm unable to persuade all of my peeps to come over here...
Actually, I do. I live in Asia, have family in the US and my work is global. While exiting FB and Instagram was hard at first, the fact that I did it garnered respect from all of my global friends and they know where to contact me.
I'm glad it worked for you.
I just counted it as a loss and deleted them anyway supporting meta is simply not worth the convenience when they bought the death of democracy.
I quit using Facebook 4 years ago. I deleted my acct last year. I haven’t missed it yet. I have ‘missed’ some family get togethers. lol
I years free my self. You can always find a way to connect.
You can download ALL of your photos and data from facebook. It took an entire day for it to prepare but I downloaded every photo to a folder, and deleted my facebook. Then I made a new one and friended only close friends and family. I never post anymore and only use it to msg friends/family.
m.facebook.com/help/2128025...
A great solution
Do it
I have the same problem. I only look at Instagram about every 10 days.
I know how you feel. I got dumped by FB 3 years ago and still feel a great loss at losing my real life connections. I did periodically download photos, though.
You won't regret it.
Tell family to DM you on Bluesky. Set them all up with a Bluesky account and DM each other. We have to sacrifice for democracy.
Bluesky plus Signal need to move into the meta and insta o'm
Do it! I did. You'll be glad you did. The ones that really matter have your direct number and can text you. 😉
I feel ya. I got off Facebook, and it was suddenly a goddamn desert. Try calling, texting, emails; keep in touch the old fashioned way, and do it deliberately rather than passively like Facebook encourages.
I left in January and I couldn’t be happier
I was in the same boat, but I finally bit the bullet and closed my accounts. Also stopped my prime membership that I have had for 20 years.
I deleted my Facebook and Instagram accounts and don't miss them at all. The people I honestly want to keep in touch with I call.
I DMed my entire friends list a link to my newsletter 🥺
A newsletter or blog is a great idea if you can get folks to follow you there. I know myself pretty well though, I’d make maybe three good entries then stop posting there.
Oh yes, it requires a lot of discipline to continue posting a newsletter especially when you’re firing it into the void of space (no comment section). But it’s the only way my friends can look at my pets so they suffer through it
Gonna give this some thought. Thanks!
I never had Instagram, but I stopped using fb months ago. I need to keep it for the town/school/etc info, until they find a better place to organize and reach as many people. I'm glad you asked about the photos because I've been thinking about that, too!
I haven’t posted on fb since 2016 election and after having numerous Pro-Palestine shares removed as ´spam’ and being told I had to provide my phone number in order to sign in, I’m done with— not interested in supporting maga
Seems there should be a market for a non-profit/co-op owned, small subscription fee, no ads, no influencers, social media platform. Pay $5/month, get access to a calm platform with actual friends. But no monetization, so none of the spam or fake rage baiting accounts.
I want to delete mine (I never post and stay in touch via phone and in person) but so many companies and groups use FB to advertise local events.
We need a proper Facebook replacement. One where you share your IRL escapades with IRL people. Just like how FB used to be. A non-abstracted social media.
I did it anyways.
I know the feeling, I did it, had to be done my friend.
deleted mine. now i text my family.
I did it. That way you don't hate your friends and family.
I left my profile active but just stopped using it to post or comment. I still have the photos and memories is a nice function. But those are for me.
Biggest thing on my end is the bulk of animal rescue communities are still mostly on FB
Yes, it’s tragic.
Is this an eliminate meta thing or a “these people annoy me” thing
Sorry, I don’t understand the question? It’s tragic, in my opinion, that all the animal rescue orgs are so entrenched on meta sites because they’re evil (meta, that is) in so many ways. Just wish they’d at least branch out a little but very few of them seem likely to do so anytime soon.
Oh I mean is you getting rid of FB wanting to dump meta or was It related to being annoyed with humans there As for FB being a dominant comms format for rescue, there’s not a solid alternative unless people go back to message board style. X/Bluesky/Threads are not effective
unless it’s singular, call to action messages. They’re very inefficient for back and forth group comms. Slack can work for parts of things but is tricky for newer users or vol heavy situations
Oh i get it now. Actually I blocked or otherwise baleeted all my maga friends & relatives a long long time ago, so this latest bit of feeling is just because the company is vile poisonous garbage and I’d like to get away from it. Sadly you’re right about its utility though. Nothing else compares.
Yeah. I’ve done a lot work to pare it down But I’m dealing with a rescue right now that doesn’t have a solid coms setup and I am not enjoying it
it’s interesting how almost every comment is - "yeah, do it. I did and it’s better”. That says a lot.
I got off FB in November, the day after the election. At first it was hard especially because I had two pages popular with my friends. I notified all of my friends and family a few days before by messenger. Now, no regrets! You can do it!!
Except for Twit, I've left all my abandoned 'social' accounts intact. Left the lights on, closed the 'door', and walked away. Semi-lost chapters of my 70+ years, but other people's memories are in there too, so I left them, never to return.
Just don’t post on Facebook. That’s what I do
Then they aren't real friends or true fam. Cuttum loose
It's hard but it's interesting to find those connections were really more watching people than talking to them. It's one of facebook's biggest tricks... That you interact with people on it. Call people, text people. Leave those platforms behind. Download your account and delete! Welcome home.
Came off Facebook and Instagram months ago. No regrets.
Same . Hear ya
Delete them and pick up a phone to talk to your family and friends.
Yea, I made that choice about 6 months ago. I am so out of touch and only mentioned this place on an aside. No one came here. It's strange at first, but I think it was the healthiest choice for me. Most of my friends are still there. I just can't contribute to the one who owns it.
Like an extinguisher “Only in case of emergency, break glass.”
Take the leap. Don’t put more $$ in that man’s pockets. Take your photos, tell your friends they can find you on Bluesky. They will find you.
I've been trying to delete my Facebook accounts and have been unsuccessful. I follow all the Google and YouTube directions, but nothing works. Any hints on how to do it?
I deleted mine after the election saved all my pictures, but I missed friends and family posting pictures, so they got me again. Unfortunately
The other thing is how most local events are advertised primarily on FB. It's hard to find the information elsewhere.
This is so true!!
Yes that’s a great point. All the cat rescue orgs I follow or work with are exclusively on Meta platforms.
This is why I still have Facebook too. However I have started carrying over my liberal blocking policy honed here. Some people I kept “friendships” w/ there was only so that I can know where they are. I need to know who to keep an eye out for in order to avoid them.
I know, it’s harsh…I lost a number of connections, but can’t buy into FB, etc. only BlueSky
A friend in need is a friend indeed- If they can’t be bothered to follow you on another platform, are they worthy? I understand your predicament, but it’s not like you ask them to abandon their houses and move with you 🤗
I write letters and have coffee (if they are in town) and text with the people who wanted to stay in touch when I told them I was leaving FB and Insta. It’s deepened those relationships greatly.
Did the same. Gave everyone a month to reconnect by phone, Bluesky but no one connected except for my daughter. Said screw it and have found a more welcoming group here.
Same here! Friends from high school, friends from childhood and young adulthood…all communication gone. I’m 67 and moved across country, so it’s pretty lonely now. I’ve had 2 find me since I left in January.
Call people and freak em out
I left months ago and have had the problem of not keeping up with local happenings and recs, but I tried to get people to follow me other places. Honestly I'm more at peace and frankly, don't miss those people much since clearly they dgaf about me. Convenience is not friendship.
Saaame.
Zuckerberg has ruined it. Bots everywhere. I understand. For me, this is my political place, fb is my hokey stay connected with far flung peeps.
Have a bluesky party. Folks naturally resist change.
Oh, boy...I hear THAT. I have been unable to shut my account down b/c we lost our hard drive w/ saved passwords, and when I asked for a new one, FB never replied. Surprise, surprise. I don't miss FB one bit. I miss a handful of people on there, but not enough to go back.
Insta booted me. And I couldn’t ever get back. Then just gave up. FB, I deleted a decade ago. Twitter and WhatsApp went over a year ago. As well as being here, I’ve an email address and a Signal account. Family/friends got sent those. If that ain’t enough for them, so be it.
I have not missed Facebook or Instagram. Any true people in your life will remain and if not- the change will be better for your mental health guaranteed no looking back
I deleted both and annoy the hell out of my friends and remaining family with text messages
I would love to delete my fb. Unfortunately a lot of my hobbies use it as a communication tool. I agree, the algorithms, the AI all have made it unusable.
It’s literally 85% “recommended” or “you might like” crap vs. 15% anything you actually want to see.
You have allowed Zuckerfucks to take over all of those relationships. You do not have relationships without Zuckerfucks. And that's your fault. Don't be the victim, message your friends and get their numbers.
it's tough, i was moved around by parents a TON as a kid, so it's a life line to like 5 different past lives to me, but i hate Zuck with the passion of 5 suns. So idk
I totally get it!
I had Meta send me a Zip drive of all my intellectual property. Gave everyone else a week to reach out to me on messenger and if they didn’t I didn’t want to hear from them anyway
I am failing to see the downside
Oh snap! I saved my photos and deleted both accounts once it was apparent that MZ supports Trump. Deleted Amazon and Prime too. Won’t shop anywhere that reversed DEI.
Meant to add, friends and family that care about you will always stay in touch. 🥰
I locked down my FB account to just family and a very few close friends. I rarely post. Never use Instagram. We have a family page in Messenger in active use.
I gave a 1 week warning before I deleted my FB and Insta accts. It gave people a chance to message me for contact info. If they needed it
Same. Lots of out of state friends and family on both who are on both of those platforms. 🤨but not Bluesky.
Hi social media twin! 👋🏻
I left Meta completely and that has been the only downside; I feel more disconnected from my friends and stuff now.
Now you have us
Deleted in January. Don’t miss it
I did it yesterday. I downloaded all the images and history. I selected to keep messenger. Which means I can keep in contact with friends and family. I woke up this morning with a big sigh of relief. Then I opened an account here. It's become a manipulation tool and is extremely addictive.
It is a hard decision and dilemma.
dumped my Facebook and Instagram about a year ago, and it is the greatest decision in the world. yeah I'm out of touch, but I'm also not annoyed every seven minutes and I don't have to check social media. It's awesome.
Reading “The Myth of Normal” and it’s pretty much proven our environment and stressors ( FB etc.) are directly linked to the development of diseases we encounter later in life. No one “gets” cancer.. it’s been brewing for years. Best thing I did was dump FB etc. and never felt better!
I got rid of FB and I don't miss them.
I keep FB to share pictures of my cat with old high school friends.
I was in the same situation and I did it. It kind of sucks but not being on Facebook is worth it, at least for me
Save everything off it, scorch the accounts to nothing, but keep the connections and essentially SLEEP the accounts- but if you need to reconnect, you've got the option. (And/or see if you can scrape IRL contact info for the most important people from their accounts on FB/Insta)
But, at least you have the options; have never been able to regain access to either of them after Jan 2021, when I upset enough pro-6th'ers that they mass reported me (Twitter too) that I can't access them, get an endless loop of nothing, and not even auto "help" response emails...
I don't use any Meta products or Twitter. BlueSky, TikTok, RedNote and Reddit are my go-to. Looking into Substack.
I dumped mine. It was easier than I expected.
I would put in a plug for pixelfed instead of insta if you still want to post things but the connections are why it's such a hard to replace site.
Your replies here are the most rancid boomers I've seen outside of a MAGA Medicare scooter ad. Different sites have different utility. My parents still use FB and the only things I post are stuff that auto posts from insta. All LGBT community, connections & biz is on insta.
Sure are a lot of helpful perfect people coming out of the woodwork!
The worst of humanity showing up to share how you could be as perfect as them. Pretty sure most of them are follow farmers, looking at the bios.
Download all your data & roll. Deleted mine this evening, profile and media pages ..since 2012 ✊🏼
If you’re on iCloud you can create private shareable albums.
Felt
Same
SAME!!!!
I deleted my Facebook back in his first term and I can honestly tell you, it was the best choice I ever made. There are text messages, emails, phone calls, etc... Why do you need a specific app as the ONLY way to connect with family and friends? Real connections continue without social media.
I use it for businesses purposes too! As much as I hate these people, I can’t let them take any more human connections from me.
Call them. Email them. Text them. Visit them.
If it helps…I left FB 4 years ago (never really embraced insta). People who are important to you will reach out, as you will to them. I don’t miss it at all. Yes, I miss reading the updates from acquaintances, but time has shown they’re not really friends. Life is much better face2face! I promise
If they really want to reach you, they will.
It was a tough decision when I dumped all meta products a year ago and I don’t miss it. You can’t stop people from checking out other sites. Do it for your own mental health. Most of my supposed friends really weren’t.
I downloaded a copy of everything and saved it on a hard drive. I sent messages to every person I knew and then searched for the creators I loved on all the other medias and I walked away. I set reminders to reach out to people I care about and send them photos individually instead of posting.
It was scary at first thinking about all the relationships that I might lose, but the important ones are still there.
Facebook will eventually be a literal graveyard of the dead & not just the dead relationships we all don't maintain but literal dead people nobody takes off. So you do it, or you let someone else delete you off later...I have it still. I look weekly it's not a thing & I have my own photos no insta.
I had a similar issue. Then I realized how many IRL friends I thought I had, but it wasn't true.
I had those same reservations about leaving FB but I pulled the plug anyway and survived just fine. It was totally worth it.
I left around the first of the year…. Those that matter find a way to stay in touch…
Same!
I deleted FB & Instagram and just made it a point to revive a texting relationship with the people that matter. It’s fine.
Felt
Deleted both. I was not concerned about friends I would no longer be in contact with. Why? If I had not spoken to you in the last 2 years IRL are we really friends? Same for family. Also how many of those so-called friends voted for this?
Facebook made that decision for me. I deleted about a hundred people and then got booted for unusual activity. so I thought okay be that way.
I deleted my Facebook account and don’t miss it.
Deleted mine after 20 yrs on FB...when they got rid of Fact checking, I got rid of them.
I deleted Facebook in 2018 and Instagram in 2020. 10/10 would recommend
I left everything Meta. I’ve had only four people reach out via text and I stay in contact with them via a messaging app. Do I sometimes miss seeing what some relatives are up to? Yeah, but none of them have reached out in any way.
Also, I had several former coworkers friended there and the only time I ever heard from them was for a job reference…
Don’t they know that’s what LinkedIn is for??
They do and even though my profile is still up I never read those messages anymore, in fact I should probably delete that as well.
I haven't deleted them but have been logged off for months. It's fine. There was life pre social media.
You have a conundrum. Continue to support companies that have zero interest in paying their fair share of taxes, or resist and delete. Let your conscious be your guide.
Here's what I did, and I would recommend it to you. I deleted my FB + IG apps from my phone, so I still can access them online. But, guess what I haven't since I deleted the mobile apps. As for IRL friend + family, you can do group chats via your phone carrier or WhatsApp.
That’s a decent, practical suggestion, thanks! It doesn’t solve the issue of Meta stealing all your images and data for their AI, but baby steps I guess.
Your images/data are their property (sadly) and no way to get that back. Doing this will reduce your social media digital footprint, and help you avoid unwanted ads/reels trying to make you think/act a certain way. Very devious, but highly profitable.
I did, and I'm glad I did. It freed up my thoughts.
Some are true friends, Many just want you to see how great they are at living life.
I sent them my phone number, said “text me if you want me”, and deleted. Anybody who cares will contact you no matter what platform you’re on