Why You Might Want to Stay on Facebook

I thought long and hard about leaving Facebook and, in the end, decided I won't.

Here's why (and I hope that those of you who are considering leaving will take a moment to read my words below; and, if you're staying and agree with me, I'd appreciate your using that share button).

Facebook is NOT Mark Zuckerberg. I won't say much about him. This post is about what Facebook IS. For me...and maybe for you.

Facebook is not one person. It's a community. It's a village green. It's a place we've come to share our lives and its joys and sorrows. Because Mark Zuckerberg has decided to incorporate hatred and lack of truth into his TOS, doesn't change the fact that we're here and we number in the millions. It doesn't change any of the following:

It's a place for us to share our grief. Loss of loved ones (including pets) is still allowed and posting about these losses offers us all a chance for comfort, compassion, and humanity. It's a chance to feel a little less alone in the world.

It's a place to share our joys. Holidays, births, weddings, new relationships...all of these things and more can bring us closer together. Don't let some clueless billionaire take that away from you. Be loud. Be proud. Celebrate your joys.

It's a place to let our community of friends, family, and more about our accomplishments. Things like signing a book contract, getting a new job, writing a song or a poem, painting a picture, showcasing a beautiful photo you took or a meal you made bring happiness to not only your own world, but that of many others. People you may not even realize are smiling and celebrating your victories.

It's a place to come for answers. Troubled by something? Can't figure out some technological hiccup? Facebook has always been there at the ready to help you with a solution others may have already found.

It's a place to meet people, make new friends, start a relationship, build a following for your art and more. No one person can change that.

In the end, Facebook is people. Tons of us--united in curating, celebrating, sharing, and sometimes questioning our lives.

I won't allow Mark Zuckerberg to take away what I've taken fifteen years to build. My life displayed here doesn't belong to Mark Zuckerberg. It never has. And if he snatches the whole enterprise away one day, what I've shared, loved, and enjoyed on here won't disappear. It'll simply move elsewhere.

So stay...just a little bit longer. Fight for good. Speak up against the bad. For now, we all have that freedom. Don't play into their hands and run away. Be present. Be real. Be safe. But continue to shine your light. The world needs it now more than ever.