Is Facebook Just a Waste of Time Now?

Many of us have had Facebook for years. Let’s be honest though: other than scrolling through a feed out of habit, it’s largely a waste of time.

I don’t know about you, but hardly any actual friends’ posts appear anymore. Instead, the feed is stuffed with clickbait, rage-bait, and endless “suggested” posts from people and pages I’ve never heard of and never asked to follow.

Last year my feed was full of alien nonsense. This year it’s constant WW3 speculation, pandemic warnings, and general doom. The algorithm just seems to shovel rubbish at you, and I’m pretty sure I’m not alone in feeling that way. Part of the problem is probably that many of us barely post anymore but that doesn’t excuse how bad it’s become.

So, are there any real solutions? Honestly, I’m even considering deleting the app. I can always dip in via the browser every now and then to check my feed. I don’t think I could go completely Facebook-free, but I’ve already massively reduced how much I use the app already without it being a conscious decision.

I may also review the pages I follow, the groups I’m in, and even some acquaintance connections. A proper declutter might help or at least make the feed tolerable again.

The irony is that at a time when Facebook feels like it’s performing so poorly, they now want to charge us. Recently I had a message asking me to either accept the current format and ads or pay around £3.99 a month for Meta ad-free. After years of people warning this would happen, it’s a bit grim to see it actually come true.

Deleting the app may be my next step. We’ll see — I’ll keep you posted. But one thing’s clear: Facebook wastes my time. And if someone genuinely needs me, they can still message direct.

Are you addicted to Facebook while also recognising it’s a time-waster? Have you tried deleting the app? I’d be genuinely interested — let me know in the comments.

Edit – I deleted the app on my phone. 31-Jan. so just occasional browser use now planned.