Why some users flee Facebook

New York, May 8, 2015: With more than a billion active Facebook accounts worldwide, "non-use" of the social networking site is now fairly common, finds a study. The team from Cornell university found that a third of Facebook users take breaks from the site by deactivating their account and one in 10 completely quit. The motivation for leaving Facebook was varied among the participants -- from concerns about privacy and data misuse to problems with productivity and addiction. Some respondents also said they were tired of engaging in shallow or banal social interactions. "Others left or suspended activity to avoid being friended by a boss, a student or former romantic partners," said Eric PS Baumer, post-doctoral associate in communication at Cornell. In some cases, people reported feeling pressured to leave based on an institutional status, such as being a military officer or parolee. Of 410 people who responded to an online questionnaire, 46 reported that they had deleted their Facebook account. More than 90 percent said they were happy with their decision, and most stayed away. Others were not able to completely cut themselves off, but nonetheless reported taking breaks from using the social networking site.