How to declutter Facebook

Introduction on how to declutter Facebook

Declutter Facebook, you will ask? How can you declutter Facebook other than deleting or disabling your account?

We all have a love-hate relationship with Facebook. We know we spend too much time on it for our own health, but we also know that in today’s interconnected world it is a requirement if you don’t want to be socially isolated.

So how can you declutter Facebook, and what do I mean by this? Read on to find out.

How to declutter Facebook

Ever felt overwhelmed by the number of posts on your timeline? Ever missed important updates or event notifications? I have on multiple occasions. Perhaps you have too much clutter on your wall, too many groups, and too many friends.

Start by going through your groups and pages and leaving all the ones you never engage in or read. I was added to a Facebook group by a friend that was for PCS members in Carlisle. (For those not in the UK, PCS stands for Public and Commercial Service Union, a British trade union representing service workers). I left said group because neither do I live in Carlisle nor do I belong to PCS.

There were other groups that I once joined because I had an interest in them, but perhaps they no longer represent my current life. We have all taken up a hobby and got super into it, only to drop it a few months later.

If you really feel you can’t leave any groups or pages, you can unfollow them. Click on the link to find out how to do this. This ensures that you won’t see their updates in your newsfeed.

Next, move on to your friend list. I officially have 744 Facebook friends. Of course, I don’t have that many in real life; no one has. I have acquired these friends over the years because we have X number of friends in common or because we met once at a conference or event and exchanged five words. Do they need to be my friends?

Real friends are precious and should be treasured and cherished, but do you really need to see a random person’s dinner photos or updates about their kids and wife whom you never met?

Go through your friends list and consider whether any of them add value to your life. Does this person post exciting articles or have exciting insights into the state of the world? Do I know this person in real life and want to see how their little bundles of joy are growing up? If the answer is no to any of the above, unfriend them. Here is how to do this.

You might think the other person is offended; I can assure you nine out of 10 times, they won’t even notice you unfriended them. Facebook does not notify you when this happens so that the other person won’t know. Further, if you are not friends in real life or chatting the night away on messenger, they won’t care either.

Once you have unfriended people and left groups and pages, you will feel a whole lot lighter and will notice updates from people and causes that truly matter to you. Give it a try.

Feel you need further help with tips and tricks on decluttering Facebook or other social media accounts and would like some help. Get in touch via my website or email me at [email protected].