Why I deleted my Facebook profile photo
I deleted my picture this afternoon. Nobody has said anything so far.
It’s been a whole 4 hours too! You’d have thought one of my 1150 friends would have sent me a message asking if I was fine. (I am, by the way. Thanks for asking). After all, a Facebook photo is what we identify one another by, isn’t it?
Certainly better than a picture of a flower or another celebrity’s mug shot. I mean, that’s obviously not Chris Hemsworth in my ‘Suggested Friends’ list. (Unless it is, in which case, please send me the request again! I may have deleted it inadvertently.)
No, the reason I deleted it was because I was tired. Tired of putting up different faces of mine on a network where most people know me by face already. I understand the futility of deleting the picture because my face is available on all my other social media accounts. Anonymity is not the reason for my choice.
As I mentioned in my earlier post this month on why I stopped using Facebook the way I used to, I was tired of getting ‘likes’ and ‘reactions’ on my face.
On.My.Face.
I have done literally nothing to earn that appreciation. Genes may have something to do with it and I suspect the complete lack of any cosmetic use for the better part of 38 years, but what is the point of getting likes on your picture?
Apart from making you feel good about yourself AKA validation, there is no point to a profile photo. If people really cared about me, they would read between the lines of a post I wrote on being happy. They would grab at the nuance in the unsaid phrases that implied something was wrong. They would click on a status update where I have been emotional, sentimental, witty or upset and shared a comforting bear hug (virtually, of course).
They would take the time to read. Not necessarily my content, but any content out there that makes them think and breathe and process words and phrases in a manner worth writing about.
And isn’t that infinitely better? Than clicking ‘like’ or ‘love’ on a profile picture?
So, for now, as a test of my own vanity and validation, perhaps, I have removed the profile picture. I need time to read content that moves me and assimilate that which makes me ponder deeply.
There’s no telling when I will add another profile photo on my personal account. Or if I will.
Then again, this is me. Things may change tomorrow. So let’s see how this goes.
Day 29 of Daily Writing
