Over 60% of Facebook users ‘take a break’ from the site for several weeks or more
According to a new study from US-based Pew Research Centre, two thirds of Facebook users have taken a break from the social networking site due to 'excessive gossip or drama from friends' and considering it a 'waste of time'.
Four per cent of respondents cited privacy issues as the reason for their break, whilst one per cent said they didn’t like to share their lives via Facebook. Only 2 per cent said they stopped using it as they preferred to communicate face to face.
The study found that these voluntary breaks lasted several weeks or more, but that 92 per cent of people maintained a profile even though they weren't using it.
The survey also asked how important people feel the site is to their lives now compared to a year ago. Pew found two thirds believe that the site is as important in their lives now as it was a year ago, with just under a third saying the site is less important to them now.
Additionally, just over a third said they had reduced the time spent on the site, while one in 10 said they spend more time on the site, particularly women. However, 42 per cent of 18 to 29-year-olds said that they amount of time they spend on the site has dropped in the last 12 months.
The survey from Pew was conducted in December and based on a sample of 1,006 American adults aged 18 and over.