I am leaving Facebook and Instagram

Dear Friends,

The time has come to give up on the world’s biggest social media platform.  With the release of the 11,000 pages of internal documents on the business practices of Facebook and Instagram made public by the Whistleblower on 60 Minutes, which revealed Facebook’s dedication to hate groups and conspiracy groups such as Qanon, it has become clear that being a part of Zuckerberg’s monster has become unethical for me to remain. I have given up on Instagram and WhatsApp as well.

In a world of Covid deniers, over 700,000 thousand dead due to Covid-19, the toxic levels of interaction on social media, being thrown in “Facebook” jail for confronting racists and others made me realize that Facebook wasn’t checking me ‘to build a better Facebook’ but was making sure that their financial base, the radical right, was being protected from scrutiny, is forcing me to vacate this platform.

It is a matter of mental health for me as well. It’s hard seeing all the negativity swirling around these platforms, the comments left by trolls, the harassment of people, and the total disregard for humanity which makes me question whether or not we can even call it social media anymore. Facebook is highly anti-social, and that has done nothing but make me feel anxious and angry all the time, to say nothing for the amount of time wasted arguing with people over things when the chances of changing anyone’s mind is slim to none.

In short, Facebook is the wrong place for me.

After the events of January 6th, the threat to our democracy is severe. No longer willing to be a part of that type of discourse anymore. I also do not want to contribute to a company’s financial gains that wish to undermine our democracy.

I have a presence on Twitter, and you can find me there at my handle @PostMystic as well as MeWe @mewe.com/i/fefeeley_jr  

You can also find me on TikTok from time to time @Postmodernmystic, but even that platform can be grating from time to time.

Perhaps you all can join me there in the future should you also decide that there are better options out there with companies that won’t sell your privacy.

Best Wishes,

F.E. Feeley Jr.