Here’s why it’s so hard to quit Facebook for good

Basically everyone has a Facebook in this day and age. It’s an amazing tool to stay in touch with people, and keep up with current events. It’s a place where you can show the world the new kitten you just adopted, or the new person you’ve made it “official” with. It’s addicting, to say the least.

But a lot of people have apparently considered leaving the most popular social media site, and there are still a fair amount of people who don’t have access to the site at all, but the line between those who don’t want to participate, and those who can’t is unclear, according to a recent Cornell study, “How Social Media Non-use Influences the Likelihood of Reversion: Perceived Addiction, Boundary Negotiation, Subjective Mood, and Social Connection.”

But the problem is that the site is pretty addictive. So much so that researchers in Norway had developed a scale (the first of its kind in the world) solely to measure Facebook addiction. Once you leave, it’s hard to stay away considering all of the people that are a part of the site. At this point, participation in the site is a continuation of daily life. And they have found that more often than not, people come back.

The main reason was if you thought that the site was addictive before quitting, you more than likely would think it was addictive when you quit —which made the impulse to go back even stronger. The study states, “One participant described this habitual aspect by saying, ‘In the first 10 days, whenever I opened up an internet browser, my fingers would automatically go to ‘f.’”

Participants who felt like their Facebook usage was being monitored were less likely to log in. And if the users had other social media accounts, they felt less of an urge to go on Facebook. And interestingly enough, good moods kept people away from the social media giant.

If you’re considering getting rid of your Facebook, we advise you to give the experience at least a trial run before you say no completely. But if you’re ready to say goodbye forever, we fully support that decision, too.

(Image via Shutterstock)