I deleted my Facebook data. It was harder than I anticipated.

Almost a year ago, I stopped using my personal Facebook profile. The contempt and incivility around the 2016 election left a bad taste in my mouth. Subsequent articles I read about how Facebook can affect our beliefs and relationships further soured me on the experience. Beyond that, though, I noticed how good it felt to take a break. Despite all the validation I sought from Facebook, I deeply appreciated the time I spent away from it.

I’d taken a big break once before: I deactivated my accou...