Most Facebook users 'take a break'

[Jazzy]

Too much drama, boredom and irrelevant information are just some of the reasons Facebook users give for taking a break from the world's biggest social networking site for weeks at a time, according to a new study.



A report from the Pew Research Centre's Internet and American Life Project found that some 61% of Facebook users had taken a hiatus of at least several weeks for myriad reasons, whether they were weary from an onslaught of gossip, or for the more pious, the arrival of Lent.



Yet the use of Facebook, whether constant or not, is pervasive in America. Of the American adults who use the internet, 67% are on Facebook, Pew found. That compares with 20% who use LinkedIn and 16% who are on Twitter.



But users do come and go, some temporarily and some for good. Seven percent of internet users said they used Facebook at one point but no longer do. By its own count, Facebook has 1.06 billion users worldwide who check in at least once a month. This includes millions of duplicate and fake accounts. More than 150 million users are in the US.



The largest slice of users, 20%, said that they were simply too busy with their own lives to follow the constant stream of status updates, quotes and baby photos.



Privacy and security concerns, which have received plenty of media coverage, were low on the list. Only 4% of people gave these reasons, combined with concerns about ads and spam, as their Facebook vacation motivation.



Lee Rainie, director of the Internet and American Life Project, said people are making interesting calibrations and recalibrations about how they spend their time and about the worth of constantly staying connected to friends, family and others online.



Responding to the report, Facebook said that its growth and user engagement remains strong.

Source



Have you ever taken a break from Facebook? If so, what was your reason?

 

[Raven]

Well I have in the past but to be honest I don't use it in general as much as I used too.. I know many people who have left the site though.

 

[Geoffrey]

Not really. Though I don't post on it as much as I used to, but that's because I'm on twitter more.



I still browse my news feeds, others' pictures, post my own pictures and even statuses on occassion. I wouldn't say I've ever taken a complete break from Facebook.

 

[Bluezone777]

I never really started using it so no way to take a break from something you don't use in the first place.

 

[Flurry]

Only time I take a break is when I'm asleep or at work o.0

 

[Evil Eye]

The largest slice of users, 20%, said that they were simply too busy with their own lives to follow the constant stream of status updates, quotes and baby photos.

That seems quite sensible.

I never really started using it so no way to take a break from something you don't use in the first place.

This.