[germainelol]

I think they're already losing their influence. As people mentioned already, many people have their accounts but simply don't use them anymore. I only use it for keeping in touch with some friends via Messenger these days, and where possible I try to just use WhatsApp/Telegram for that anyway. Some of the most active people I see on my news feed are actually my relatives in their 40s-50s+ or early teens. I guess these people are just discovering the world of social media, whereas the people that have grown up with Facebook don't see the use it in anymore.

Even outside of me and my friends, I mostly just hear of people using it to connect directly with people, like joining some Facebook groups for specific discussions.

[unabst]

But this is not the point. Once you have an account, you create a bucket, a magnet, and an entry in their database.

You exist.

They don't need you to participate. They need your email or your phone number that can link you to the rest of the matrix. With a mobile app, they get your phone number automatically.

Everything else you post is icing on the cake. They don't need your relationship status. They don't need your address. Maybe your phone number will link to one, but they don't need it to be accurate.

Now you're part of the data pool. You're one more audience member. You're fueling facebook and their profits.

You're being sold.

Not only that, non-participation grants a false sense of security. As does the data they ask for; as if the data you post is all that they know or that is being shared. As do all their privacy settings. As does deleting your account. Facebook might mark you as deleted, but your data has already been used, sold, and transferred to 3rd parties, none of whom are inclined to delete your data.

If the data hasn't changed, and you haven't changed, then deleting yourself from facebook doesn't change anything.

[namlem]

Except Facebook itself is a major ad delivery vector. Not actually going on FB means fewer ad impressions.