How I got off my Facebook | Opinion | News.com.au

How I got off my Facebook

By Patrick Begley

Herald Sun

November 17, 2008 08:20am

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AFTER a year and a half, I am free. No more posting, poking, searching and stalking. I have quit. Gone cold turkey. My Facebook days are over.

How do I feel? Fine.

Better than fine. I expected at least a withdrawal pang or two.

After all, the world's largest networking site is known for its addictive properties.

How else could it have attracted more than 110 million users in less than four years?

Users craving their daily fix have made the company worth $8 billion.

The phenomenon has spawned a book, and West Wing writer Aaron Sorkin is set to be scripting a film.

In other words, it's big.

So big that for a while not having a Facebook was hard to contemplate.

But in three weeks I have not once missed the posing, the voyeurism or the pointless "networking" all synonymous with the "Book".

A University of Georgia study examined how narcissists behave the same way online as they do in real life.