Facebook FOMO

When I open a new window in Safari, my fingers almost instinctively type "f" before my computer autofills in "Facebook." I'd be remiss not to mention that, occasionally, I will close out one window of Facebook, open a new tab and accidentally go right back on Facebook.

Around finals last semester, I got so fed up with my Facebook addiction that I went cold-turkey and didn't log on for one whole week. In the grand scheme of things, that might not sound like that long. Yet, for me, it was enough time to detox and overcome the feeling of "FOMO" (fear of missing out) that Facebook constantly leaves me with.

As I try to spend my time more constructively this year, I am limiting my time on Facebook. With the knowledge of Bilton's article, I can't help but wonder if others are feeling burnt out, as well. There are only so many engagement announcements, time lapse recipes and cute animal videos one can look at before the need for real human contact occurs.

It makes sense that "investors are in the business of pouring money into growing companies, not stalled ones." In this age of start up companies and a passion to create the next-big-thing, I understand that the growth of social media sites are plateauing. Still, there is no doubt that Facebook is a revolutionary invention that changed the way people communicate with each other.  

That being said, I would love for social media to become more social again. It's astonishing to me that I have over 1,200 Facebook friends, while in reality I probably only talk to about 12 of those people on a regular basis. While "the challenges on the business side are fueled by the overabundance of publishers on the Web," I am eager to see the new web content that will replace Facebook in the coming years. After being on Facebook for about ten years, I have had my fill and am ready to move onto the next social media craze.