Users plan to cut back their Facebook use as stress and "drama" reach point of no return
- From: The Courier-Mail
- February 08, 2013
STATUS updates, friend requests, profile pictures and pokes.
An American study has found the intricacies of the most used social network in the world are stressing out its users to the point of no return.
Almost a billion people around the world use Facebook, but a Pew Research Centre's Internet and American Life Project study now says 27 per cent of American adults plan to reduce their Facebook use this year, and only 3 per cent plan to spend more time on the site. It also found 61 per cent have taken a self-imposed Facebook ban in the past.
Users who aim to cut their Facebook time say that it is producing "too much drama", even to the point of hurting relationships.
However the number one reason for turning away from the site was that users were too busy and just didn't have the time to maintain what they considered an appropriate level of Facebook interaction.
While this may look like the beginning of the end for our most prevalent social network, University of Queensland social media expert Dr Sean Rintel says Facebook is far from going away.
"There are two things to consider here - the first being that there has been nothing like Facebook before; there are nearly a billion people on the site, so it fluctuates in usage," Dr Rintel said.
"Secondly, that people probably do get Facebook fatigue, there's an information overload and people get overwhelmed."
Yet people are becoming disillusioned with the site, as evidenced by initiatives like "Facebook Free February", launched by Brisbane student Jenny King who has taken a month away from the site and is encouraging others to do so too.
She cites privacy settings and increased ads being major concerns.
Dr Rintel admits that the site isn't bulletproof.
"It's not too big to fail; who knows what is around the corner."
But does this mean the end for Facebook?
"I doubt it," he said.
"There is too much involved with Facebook, it's the worlds biggest picture sharing network for one and secondly there are so many other sites linked into it."
Originally published as Stressed out Facebook users to cut back