My new Facebook makes me feel trapped?

[Eric]

I have been wanting a Facebook account for the past few weeks, and this evening I finally decided to get one. I never anticipated the terrible feelings I have received from it. Now I feel like my "friends" are always watching me, like my life is one big advertisement, and that I always have to think of how to "perform" for my friends on the next change to my page. I now realize how much I prided my "old fashioned", more private lifestyle. I felt free then, like there was a time to be with friends and a time where I was certain I could be alone. Now I feel like the two are inseparably merged and it makes me feel highly insecure and vulnerable. I can't even sleep right now, in part due to this problem. But I feel as if I may be jumping the gun by deleting my account so soon. I know that someone may tell me to "wait it out and see", but I can't stand to wait it out. I just want my life back. I also know that it's a little soon to be saying that, perhaps, but if this is how it's going to be from now on, then I really want to leave as soon as possible, before I accumulate more friends and hurt everyone's feelings. I also thought that since anybody who's anybody (at least my age) is on Facebook, that I would be left in the past if I didn't join. I'm now beginning to think differently about that, especially considering that less than half of the US population actually uses Facebook. Would it be okay for me to leave Facebook, or would it be too soon to make a good decision? How can I politely inform my friends of my decision?

[qaseem k]

hello my frnd .....my problem was the same...even i was getting so much irritated like when guyz commented on my girlfrnd'z status, on my wall....n yeah wat i did was deleted my account permanantly n gave the reason that it has been blocked........n created a new 1 wid not my orgnl name but sum other name ......n added only a few loved 1's n also liked sum very helpful pages so dat i can do sumthing constructive thru facebook.....now i use facebook as a source thru which i can only b in touch wid whom i wanted to b n not sum1 whoz life is like an ad....n yeah remember itz not obvious that if most of the people do anything, it has to be sumthing nice.....don't c wat every1 does....do wat ur heart says................n yeah tell ur frndz that ur account is being hacked every time i make a new 1 or sum other reason .......n if u want to avoid facebook 4 d reat of ur life then itz ur wish .......................
n if u don't use facebook u ll b having more time than many of others.......alryt then ....al d best ....hope i helpd u .....bye tc.....n yeah keep smiling

[Insanegiraffe772]

Wow, I feel like I just read something that I typed myself. Sooo weird, but yeah, this is exactly what has happened to me. I made a facebook account 2 weeks ago since people had been pressuring me to get one for awhile and I had gone over almost a year without any type of social network. I don't know why I suddenly gave in and decided to create a new account, but I did, and every day since i've been trying to think of cool, funny, or interesting things to post on my status (which I can't think of) when in reality, I've been dealing with major problems that none of my friends know anything about. The sad thing is it's because we drifted apart since I deleted all of my social networks, and it was like I was slowly deleted too. It seems like you have to try to impress your friends or people, for whatever reason, to boost your self esteem or to give them reasons to like you. That isn't true though. I know that it won't be too long before I delete mine because I realize that my life was much more peaceful before I joined and I didn't feel like everything I said was being speculated. Facebook is a cop-out from the real world, and it's a place where most people aren't truely themselves. It's all a big show that everyone puts on, to make you think that their life is so exciting or so great. but there is more than meets the eye. Everyone will look at it differently, but this is just how I feel. Just tell your friends the truth... that you realized you don't feel comfortable with facebook and you didn't want it after all.

[Meryl M]

i think you should just tell yo friends the truth. tell them its not for you and you would much rather talk to them face to face. i hope y'all are in the same geographically area though... cause if not maybe thats why they wanted you to join because its definitely a cheaper way to communicate. however back to the point you shouldn't do anything you not comfortable with. have the courage to stand up against what 'everyone is doing' i mean after all its just facebook. talk to someone about whats really going on in yo life. you so right tho i am a facebook 'addict' and i hate it because its very time consuming. good for you if you can get out of it before it hits you. im also now trying to peal myself from it because iot really does create this fake atmosphere and more so fake friendships - u send hours writing on peoples walls but if u were put in the same room its very unlikely you'd have such a high camaraderie talk for even 10 mins. therefore don't be afraid to be judged said u already going through something one thing at a time my darl cut out facebook if its not for you - im sure yo friends will understand