Most people use and are basically addicted social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. People fear that if they don’t have a social site they will miss out on job opportunities, or most importantly what’s going on with their friends at all hours of the day. Why do we rely so heavily on social networking sites? It’s our way to stay connected.

With Facebook and Twitter we can be in tune with everyone’s schedules and know if our best friend’s cousin’s friend’s boyfriend is having a bad day. Why do we care? Social networking sites are bringing us down, and distracting us from what we should really be focusing on – ourselves and our future.

When people get a “like” on Facebook or a re-tweet on Twitter it’s as if they have just won the lottery. What is the real prize we get from a “like” or re-tweet? Nothing. We get no tangible prize from someone else agreeing with what we posted.  

By getting a thrill when someone likes our status, we are using social networking sites to get gratification.  But the gratification we get is false. We should get gratification by having a conversation with someone, face-to-face, and making him or her laugh. Laughing is the Facebook “like” of real life.

            Do you ever see someone’s status and think “wow that is so stupid, why did they post this?” The real question is: why do you care what they post? Ask yourself these questions: How does someone else’s status affect your life? Does this status help or hinder your goals in life? Is this status directly threatening me? If the status doesn’t affect your life, then why do you care what that person posts? If it doesn’t help or hinder your goals in life, it’s not worth your time, and if it’s not directly threatening you, you don’t have a reason to worry.

            We’re so caught up in what other people are doing and posting that we lose sight of what we want and what our goals are. Why can’t people on the Internet relax and let each other post what they want without getting involved?

            Deleting your social networking site will completely eliminate any unnecessary comments from unimportant people in your life. It will eliminate any useless drama coming from outside people commenting on your posts.

Deleting your profile will take some getting used to. You’ll have withdrawals – because social networking has become an addiction. Maybe make a goal to only post three times a day, then only three times a week, and then not at all. Start keeping a journal and write down all the things you would post in there.

Finally, completely delete your profile. You will feel like a weight has been lifted from your shoulders. No longer will you be subjected to annoying posts by people you don’t even know in real life. You might feel a little out of the loop, but no longer can a secret crush keep tabs on you just from looking at your profile. They’ll actually have to talk to you in real life.

Can you even imagine that?! Hardly anyone is introduced face-to-face anymore. They meet on social networking sites. 

            When you take a step back and start thinking about how stressed social networking can make you, what’s the point in even being a part of it? You should start living life off of the Internet and start make real life connections. If someone wants to meet you, they can do so in real life.

            Deleting your social site can be freeing and make you realize that life is more than just a computer screen. It will allow you to become who you really are, and start focusing on your future and goals.