Admit it, you've considered quitting Facebook at one time or another. You may have gone so far as to close your account, saying you'll never come back, only to log back in a week later. A study discovered four reasons why our relationship with Facebook is complicated:
• Perceived Addiction – Those who found Facebook to be addictive or habitual were more likely to return, according to the group's research. One participant described this common aspect by saying, “In the first ten days, whenever I opened an Internet browser, my fingers automatically went to 'f'.”
• Privacy and Surveillance – People who largely use Facebook to manage what other people think about them are more likely to log back in, while users who felt their Facebook activity was being monitored were less likely to return.
• Subjective mood – Are you in a good mood? Then you are less likely to go back on your promise to stay off Facebook.
• Other social media – The group found that Facebook users were less likely to log back in if they had other social media channels – such as Twitter and Instagram – to spend their time with. Interestingly, though, those who think about the proper role of technology in their social lives are more likely to return. In many of these cases, people returned to Facebook but changed their usage, for example by removing the app from their phone, reducing their number of friends, or limiting the amount of time spent on the platform.
