People who keep deactivating their Facebook account

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Why do some people on Facebook do this? Every week they deactivate their account then reactivate it the next day or a few days later, and keep doing it. My "who deleted me?" app keeps notifying me every other day that the same few people have deactivated/reactivated their account, and it drives me nuts sometimes.

Why do they do it repeatedly? Is it for attention?


Note: please take heed of the keywords in this post, as it's not a thread just asking why people deactivate their Facebook accounts, it's a thread asking why people do it repeatedly.

I was not on fcebook for long and I de-activated my account around 15 years ago. All was quiet but a few years go I started getting notifications when people said things. I mentioned this and my nephews and nieces looked and said my account had been re-opened and was very much active, but it wasn't me who reactivated it. I was told it was common for facebook to reactivate old accounts without their permission.

While I understand that people sometimes need time away from FB, it is oftentimes people I enjoy talking to the most and become emotionally attached to that do it, and there is no other way to communicate with them.

Some people are indecisive and can't make their minds up. One day, they will feel like keeping it and feel different the next day.

I can think plenty;

- Usual drama.
If the person doesn't involve you very closely, chances it's very much not your fault. Feuding friends, usually group of friends. Broken hearted couples, etc. Trying to provoke and seek attention amongst another.

- Safety. Seriously.
Some people are just more concerned of their info and data; their contacts or whatnot. Or that maybe they're being stalked, hacked or something else. Or it's sometimes it's paranoia.

- Self care.
People just want to take a break, usually to do with their mental health. Like you, they also subconsciously thought their lives are boring or more pathethic in comparison and it's somewhat their fault.
So they quit for sanity's sake. But some people bounce back into social media routine... Only to find themselves in loop.

- Focus.
Kinda like mental health. Except this is more about closing one channel of communication to be less distracted.

- Mental Health issues.
Really. Sometimes it's because logging in causes them greater dread or a chore. Sometimes some people have ideas in their heads like they wanna burn bridges from their contacts, contemplating to run away or commit suicide but cannot make up their minds.

- 'Dynamics'.
Or maybe they got this funny idea of credibility and they thought out of anxiety that they're gonna get banned or subjected into some witch hunt, or that they're in a fast deadline or promise they can't deliver...
Or maybe they already are. Or maybe involved in some scandal -- usually in bigger accounts or accounts who treats their personal ones like a blog.

-Technicalities.
The user didn't deactivated their account at all. It vanishes sometimes however -- it's just their settings.
Others just happens spontaneously; seriously. One of the person I frequently contact is one of these. I'm not sure why.

Gained Number Post Count (1).
Lose Time (n).

Lose more time here - Updates at least once a week.

It really doesn't matter to me. It's their choice.

Maybe this is because I'm hardly ever on Facebook.....

Drama, or possibly they'd like to quit but can't quite bring themselves to break away entirely.

You know, like people here who repeatedly ask to be banned temporarily.

i do it alot . can be a day , or even 20 minutes . i don't like Facebook but use it to fact check birthdates of friends and see how people are getting on . very little messaging takes place . so i deactivate

I did deactivate my Facebook a couple of times and reactivate, but that was years ago and although I can still get depressed from Facebook I just stay because I know I can't really live without it, and if you want a break you can just log out and not visit for a couple of days. I know it's easy to log back in but it seems just as easy to reactivate, so you might as well just log out. That's what I do if I get fed up. I have an app that tells me who has unfriended me or deactivated their account or whatever and it notifies me, so sometimes it can be annoying when the same person keeps deactivating and reactivating every five minutes. If I don't talk to them that much I just wait until they reactivate then unfriend them.

Joe , the notification app itself might be head work . if you feel unhaply on facebook .. deactivate i guess . personally i deactivate so nobody has a open source to myself even if i'm not logged in . like yourself scanning through facebook can cause thoughts . it's good to close the circuit every now and again .

what is it you like about Facebook ? some people get a quick scoop then log off . others stay invested . you might find more benefit from an instagram or tiktok with a broader scope of interest . tiktok is a good source for random laughter

I've done it a few times. Facebook is designed to keep people like me from pestering more popular people, and when it is particularly effective at that, I get frustrated and quit. But then I remember that I kinda use it as a journal, and if I once again have no expectation that anyone will notice, I'll calm down and reactivate it.

My Facebook page stays deactivated for the most part. I’ll occasionally activate it when it’s absolutely necessary for connecting with a business, etc. that uses fb as its only online presence.
For me personally, fb is toxic and damaging for my mental health. However, I am still able to use messenger to stay connected with the people I like to talk to, even if my page is invisible.

I imagine I’m not the only one who experiences stress when scrolling the timeline, so the repeated deactivation sounds like it could be an emotional response to that stress, followed by a sense of loss and attachment. In my opinion, people seem to have traits of actual addiction when it comes to social media. If they can’t handle the “withdrawals,” they run back to get a fix.

Just my thoughts on the subject, though the actual reasons will be just as varied as the people doing it.

My experience is that deactivations are usually because of emotional overload with social media.

I also think most people add me as a friend so they can brag about how many friends they have. It’s more about ego stroking than actual interaction with people.

I'm not sure what I (or anyone else) can provide in terms of an answer. I don't think any of us can definitively speak for other people who repeatedly deactivate their accounts. Unless there is a large scale poll/study floating around somewhere out there, the best we can do is provide anecdotal evidence.

Furthermore, I WILL say that I do have a history of repeatedly deactivating my FB account (at 1-6 month intervals). For me, it has had nothing to do with "getting attention". If anything, it has been my intention to decrease the amount of attention on myself, disengage from the world, and practice some self care. I'm not sure if other people think similarly, but deactivation has provided an extra layer of "protection" from FB (just in case I subconsciously clicked on the link/button and found myself scrolling thoughtlessly). I have recently switched my tactic to the following: 1) Adding an "On Hiatus" filter/label over my profile picture (this is so friends/family know that I won't answer messages) and 2) Using a site blocker on my browser.

Socializing (even in text format) can be overwhelming and confusing at times. If I don't take breaks I quickly find myself having daily shutdowns or meltdowns. These trying times have made social media an even more difficult place for both the neurodiverse and the neurotypical.

Edna3362 lists a lot of other really good possibilities!

To search for data on their Facebook, links, etc, cause they cant find it unless its reactivated, but then they want to deactivate it again.

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