While on the process of finding the next topic to write a hub on,I tumbled upon this thought : why not share with you,the way my life is progressing without facebook,after being addicted to it,for some years.Some of my friends and many of my relatives asked me how I am feeling in its absence and whether I can handle it!They were really eager to know the facts and realities of an "after facebook life".I believe that a plenty other facebook users too - addicted and non-addicted - would be asking the same question.But before I begin,let me make it clear.I do not suppose this article to be a guide for any facebook users.Nor is it any bunch of suggestions aimed at developing a specific emotion.The facts presented here are purely based on my own experiences alone and therefore opinions for and against may arise.

It was almost 5 years back that I decided to sign up on facebook.Since then, my way of living had changed dramatically(I know it's a cliché dialogue,but it's a fact),discovering old friends and new possibilities, feeling happy for getting the kind of platform I wished for to showcase those moments and treasures I otherwise would have had to keep to myself, sort of like a virtual personal assistant, reminding me of all my friends' birthdays and events a couple of days or even a week before, so that I can promptly wish them without fail, keeping myself updated on the latest happenings through posts and statuses, stalking whoever I wished to, and meeting new people from all over the world and what not.I eventually got mired in its wonders, sacrificing my precious time for the ephemeral pleasures I get by watching my FB home page getting filled every minute with new posts and feeds, latest pictures taken by my friends on various occasions and wasting time feeling jealous for the so-called friends-of-friends' achievements whom I've rarely met in real life, lending ears to the newest hot gossips and contributing my likes and comments expecting that they would return the favour when I upload something in future.I often believed that my social status was getting elevated each day when I saw new friend requests popping up, especially when it was from girls!

And then,after a year or so, there were friends asking me, "Hey dude!You are 24x7 on FB?!?".I had no answer to these kind of queries because I knew very well that by now, I was totally addicted to facebook.I always wished if I could get myself out this mess somehow and save my life for the better.And of course I did deactivate it twice or thrice, and the sense of trepidation I feel at those times often forced me to select the reason from among the list of choices I had to submit while deactivating to be "This is temporary.I'll be back" as it seemed more homely. Adding to the fire, my heart twinged when it said "x and y will miss you.Leave him/her a message".But it never took me long to return back and honestly, it often presented me a feeling of getting back home after years of imprisonment while still looking for a way to avoid this evil!

6 months ago for no new reason, I deactivated my account again.This time,somehow, I was determined to show my mettle and to prove to myself that I had the willpower to drown down any addiction which seemed a matter of my self-esteem.First few days were like hell.Without facebook, I found I had just nothing else to do on the internet! I checked mails expecting some mails from my friends or mails informing that I have got new comments on my youtube videos.But more were the days,where I received nothing more than some annoying ad promotion mails.I was totally fed up of my life.I missed those notifications,messages,chats,posts,my friends,fun and almost everything.I spent time watching tv, taking up the old albums and glancing through those pictures which I had last seen almost 5 years ago!Quite strange that I still didn't opt to pass time studying my engineering lessons which I was supposed to do in the first place!Almost a week passed by in this fashion and still the mood remained the same.What changed was my way of thinking.I decided to turn the huge vacuum that engulfed my life into something really productive.After a serious research,I chose to do some work online and earn money, without having to invest a penny.

My research then narrowed down to those online job sites that offered me what I needed.I chose a site and started working on it.It was real fun clicking all the ads and doing mini jobs and the best part was doing surveys that offered me a pleasing amount on completion.By the end of the first month, I earned about 26$, and happily, this was my very first earning and now, I got the very first cause to stay away from facebook - I transformed the wastage of time into a handful of money! It made me happier when on that month, Amma(mom) brought groceries with the money that I had earned.I began searching for more alternatives to FB.I spent time singing covers and uploading them on the net, reading articles, especially those that discussed the latest technological updates and the articles that appeared on sites like the lifehacker, a couple of times I spent time watering the plants in our compound, experimenting some dishes after gathering the recipe from net, and finding more time for exercise.I realised that my new way of life was returning me the right sort of result for the time I spent on them.

When looking back at those days I enormously wasted on facebook,I can realise the depth of misconceptions I was captivated in.When I get 100+ likes on my profile pic, when I get praising comments on my status updates, when I got over 750 friends on my profile, I always thought high of myself, I used to thank God for this great and large friend circle, and held facebook closer to my heart for gifting me such a fortune.But let me tell you honestly guys, till this day since deactivating, I have seen no more than 10 or 12 friends contacting me and asking me the reason.Some among them even compelled me to return to facebook.I wonder whether the rest of my "friends" have ever even bothered to think whether I am alive or not! I understood the fact that those friendships I developed via facebook were just fanciful.

Today I have no regrets for quitting facebook.Though I can no longer look out what most of my friends are up to, what jobs they are engaged in, where they are, what all the latest happenings are and whose birthdays fall when, I still am happy for having a few but trustworthy real bunch of friends whom I keep in contact with often, and instead of poking them I can meet them in person and say hello.I feel much more loved and respected when they ring me up and invite me personally to some special occasions, rather than when tagging my name among hundreds in a status update.I no longer get irritated with farmville requests, I no longer cultivate false expectations when my pic crosses 100 likes, I don't have to waste time and energy thinking of impressive status updates and I no more belong to any group.From lessons I have learned, I think facebook has evolved to a platform mainly to show off one's own exaggerated virtues and luxuries, a place to boast of epic things they have did, to criticise without knowledge, to anonymously sledge others by creating fake accounts, and to spoil relationships including marital relations.At least some of us have heard of the news wherein a man killed his wife for changing her relationship status on facebook.I know these are rare incidents but surely it is to such a level that the addiction has grown,that you become dependent on it for each and every single thing.

I often advise facebook addicts to picture facebook as a demon in the disguise of an agent, engaged in attracting victims and slowly eating them off, and it is true in the case of many, if not for all.Many of you may deny it and debate in favour of your facebook I agree.Because, I saw many people commenting on various blogs and sites saying facebook has always helped them stay connected, it is the only mean to get in contact with that person who stays miles away where phone connectivity is poor, it changed their lives, made them popular in their society and so on.For them, facebook is with no doubt, a boon.But I am talking to those like I used to be, who is on FB 24x7, killing your time and energy sitting at one place, logging off from your laptop or pc, getting to bed and signing in on ur mobile and checking out the same pics and statuses again to spend time and doing the same processes overnight. Facebook, I agree, is the best platform for discussions and criticims.But ultimately, what personal benefit did I gain from using it for these 4 or 5 years?To keep in touch with friends?Of course I was really happy to find my old friends.But after a few days of constant interaction, everything turned mechanical.None of us even bothered to message or call, because we were knowing all about each other through facebook without even having to interact.And it was only broadening the distance between us.So that was nomore a reason to use facebook.And I cannot find any reason why I should use it anymore either.Nowadays, facebook's privacy policies too are a serious concern as per reports available on the net.

Is there a chance I will get back on facebook?The answer is "I don't know".But I pray to God, let I feel no more liking for it and let me nomore be tempted to rejoin.To those guys, who are addicted to facebook and truly wishing to quit facebook but can't do it thinking that you will be left with nothing or will miss a precious world of fun, then take my word for it, go ahead and do it without hesitation.I tell you,the first days will surely be a torture.But after a couple of weeks,you will naturally be forced to do something beneficial and productive.Trust me.I am not on a campaign to discourage facebook usage.It's just a fact that if you have reached a level where you yourself realise that you are using it too much, then you are in danger.Let facebook not be your master.If you are so certain that you can't sacrifice the fun, at least reduce the usage from almost all day to under an hour.That'll bring about a huge difference to your life.And to all other normal facebook users, who do not agree with my views and loving FB, have a happy time facebooking!