Getting off facebook changed my life
How Quitting Facebook Changed My Life for the Better
I haven’t looked at Facebook in over a year — since August 2015, to be exact. In mid-2015, I was going through some major personal changes: ending a 10-year relationship, moving into an apartment in a new city and making a career change. I was fragile, sad and (thankfully) self-aware enough to know that my spiral would only get worse if I kept Facebook stalking my ex and hate-reading my former neighbor’s political rants on Facebook. So I quit Facebook. Yep, I deleted the app from my phone, unsaved the link from my computer’s bookmarks bar and “forgot” my password on the login page. Seventeen months later, I still feel amazing AF about that decision. Read on for the six major discoveries I made once I quit Facebook.
1. You don’t have use it
I know, I know. Shocking. But I was a frequent user at the time I quit and honestly believed that I needed Facebook to feel connected to my friends, family and the world at large. This entrenched belief made the choice to stop using Facebook even more liberating, like when you decide to go out one night without a bra on or when you surprise yourself by saying “no” to that obligation you usually say yes to. It’s the simplest but probably most profound of anything I’ve learned from all this time away from the site. You can just STOP without the world doing the same.
2. Mindless consumption is just that
The muscle memory of scrolling during every second of free time lasted about a week. I’d go to scroll when I woke up in the morning or when I was waiting for the pasta water to boil at night. In the same time that I gave up Facebook, I also cancelled my cable subscription and got rid of my TV altogether. I was putting an end to mindless consumption, come hell or no Bravo. But the thing about quitting something unfulfilling is that you’ll quickly find something to take its place.
Lemme just step down from this high horse for a sec though. This doesn’t mean I don’t consume media.
It’s just that now it’s much more satisfying. I binge on House of Cards, re-watch old Sex and the City episodes on HBO GO, read constantly and pin plant-filled apartments on my “home” Pinterest board — things that bring me actual joy, rather than activities that actually bring me down (sorry, Andy Cohen).
3. i like people a lot more
Whether it’s a family member with dramatically different political opinions than mine, an acquaintance with a flair for the dramatic or a friend’s husband’s penchant for “funny” (read: sexist) memes, I now only get what I see when we’re hanging out in person. Which is (most often) a kind, warm friend who has plenty of interesting, thoughtful things to say.
Similarly, when I meet new people, my opinion of them is informed only by what I learn firsthand. I learn their history from their funny stories over coffee, not from stalking their feed. This is especially hard (but all the more important) for me when it comes to dating.
I have friends who’ve been completely wrecked after they find a Valentine’s Day photo album from their new boyfriend’s old relationship. In this case, for me anyway, ignorance is bliss.
4. My IRL relationships Are better
Now, when I see family photos from my friend’s recent beach trip, it’s from her camera roll while we’re sitting together on her couch sipping wine. I meet up with a former coworker for lunch because I honestly don’t know what she’s been up to and I’m excited to learn she just got a new puppy. My ex and I are now genuinely friends again, which I credit in part to having time to heal separately, without constant social media reminders of his life without me clouding my emotions.
5. Fomo is a thing of the past
I may be a 33-year-old independent woman, but in the past when I saw a group of friends check-in at a local burger place while I was at home eating leftover mac and cheese, it would ruin my night. I took the non-invitation personally, as though they were intentionally excluding me, which was definitely not the case.
Living in a post-Facebook world, I’m only aware of the invitations I receive, which is how it should be anyway. And if I do hear about something I wasn’t invited to, it’s by those same friends, saying they can’t wait to go back with me sometime.
6. I’m much more present
I used to be one of those people bent over their blue screen while sitting across from friends out to dinner at a restaurant. Instead of interacting in my active present, I was observing a passive digital world that I couldn’t really be a part of. Not to mention, I was just being rude! I now keep my phone put away when I’m with someone else and even when I’m out in public by myself. I’ve realized it’s much easier to flirt with a cute boy while waiting for my latte at the coffee shop this way.
my current status
The implications of giving up Facebook have turned out to be much broader than just losing my constant supply of kitten videos and baby photos. It’s made me more mindful, less anxious, more grateful and less dependent on my phone in general.
I’m still an active Instagram poster and peruser but I mostly follow accounts that post street style photos or bookstagrams, which I find inspiring rather than draining.
With that said, while I think a digital cleanse is a good idea for anyone (science agrees!), I don’t think Facebook is the only evil to abstain from. It could be that you’re totally chill on Facebook, but all those travel accounts you follow on Instagram make you feel bad about your lack of vacation funds. Or you just can’t bring yourself to unfollow your former BFF on Twitter, even though her stream-of-conscious tweeting is a constant reminder of how much you miss her. Whatever your social media Kryptonite, I fully support you giving yourself the permission to just quit.
Would you ever consider taking a Facebook break? Tweet us @BritandCo and let us know your thoughts.
(Photos via Getty)
Megan Parry
Megan Parry is a lifestyle writer living in Philadelphia where she's making generous use of her library card, obsessively reading friends' natal charts, and learning how to differentiate between "dried apricot" and "juicy apricot" notes in wine.
How to Quit Facebook Gracefully in 2022
Everyday there's a new report of how Facebook is doing harm to the world. Among the most recent headlines include:
- Leaks just exposed how toxic Facebook and Instagram are to teen girls and, well, everyone
- Apple reportedly threatened to boot Facebook from the App Store over human trafficking concerns
- Wall Street Journal's Facebook Files series prompts comparisons to Big Tobacco
With every new bad headline, #DeleteFacebook starts trending on Twitter. Conservatives have been angry about the Trump ban and Liberals are angry about the misinformation. If you're wondering how to delete your account, and thus quit your Facebook for good, the simplest answer is the following steps:
- Click the downward arrow button in the top right corner
- Choose settings and privacy, and click settings.
- Select Your Facebook Information located in the left column
- Choose Deactivation and Deletion
- Select Permanently Delete Account, and Click Continue to Account Deletion
- Select Delete Account, enter your account password, and click Continue.
If you just wanted to take a break from the platform, you could just deactivate your account. The thing is, I did it a number of times, so leaving Facebook isn’t the hard part.
It’s how to quit and stay off for good that’s the real challenge. For so long, I always eventually typed in my log-in information and re-activated my profile again.
The reason why we do that is something deeper that involves people not really feeling connected to others much, or real life much, just like I wasn’t. The way to permanently get off Facebook is to find something else to replace those deeper human needs you’re using social network to fulfill. Maybe your reasons for being on there are the same ones as mine.
My Facebook journey
Whether it’s Facebook selling people’s personal data, or just getting sick of seeing all the drama, people don’t want to deal with the social media platform in 2022. Back in high school was when I first heard of Facebook.
It was right around when it was just starting and back when people were still actively on Myspace.
When I first got on it, I thought it was boring. I didn’t want to start a Facebook because I didn’t get it.
I didn’t like the plain blue and white layout just showing a list of what everybody was saying that day. But I got more into it once most people had begun leaving Myspace.
People's thoughts
I got interested in just seeing the random thoughts people would post as their statuses. I was also into posting my own thoughts.
Some people were very candid about what they thought and felt, much more than they would be in real life. And then there was those statuses you knew they were talking about somebody, they just didn’t say their name.
But that person usually knew it was them. I say that confidently because someone did that to me once before. A few other things made it hard for me to stop using Facebook for more than a day.
Likes
Ah, the like system. When I posted my own statuses, people who liked my posts made me feel popular.
Something that I didn’t always have much of in high school.
It was also a pretty good ego boost whenever you posted pictures of yourself and people you found attractive liked it. Seeing how much people liked other people’s statuses built up a competitiveness in me. I wanted to say the most interesting, funny, or profound thing to get more likes.
Facebook friends
Another thing that got me hooked was the amount of "friends" I could easily get on there. All you had to do was click the friend request button, and most of the time people would add you.
People I didn’t know in person or never really talked to in real life became my Facebook friends. My future college girlfriend even added me despite us not knowing each other. I didn’t have a whole lot of close friends in high school or college, so this helped to supplement for what I was lacking in real life.
Relationship status
Lastly, the relationship status. Seeing people change their status from single to in a relationship with so and so felt like the coolest thing you could do on Facebook.
Like back in your high school days whenever people would get talked about because they were dating. It was entertaining to see how often people would change their relationship status.
I wanted to be able to change my relationship status whenever I finally got into one and get to have my cool Facebook moment. Of course I made sure I got into a relationship with the girl for the right reasons.
Though I wouldn’t be surprised if someone got in one just to show off for Facebook. But those were all the reasons I got hooked, and also probably all the reasons why I quit Facebook. Let me show you how I found a good replacement for each of my reasons for being on Facebook.
Knowing people’s thoughts got annoying
Most people quit Facebook because they get sick of seeing people’s random thoughts on their lives. I got sick all of everyone’s drama too.
There were maybe only one or two people I still wanted to know what was going on in their lives. Though nowadays I’ve been pretty much out of the loop on everyone’s life.
I didn’t know one of my cousins had a second kid until months after the baby was born and that they moved to a different city again. I find it kind of funny to randomly learn these things.
But if you want to give up Facebook and still stay updated on the lives of your close friends, there’s a simple way to do that. You can get numbers and e-mails from all the people you want to stay in touch with, and then regularly check in with them.
So what about sharing your own thoughts? Have you ever considered blogging? I find it to be a great way to share what’s going on in my mind.
I’ve had numerous ones where I shared my thoughts on current events, random topics, and life in general. You can let all the people you keep in contact with know about your blog and get them to subscribe.
Not Really Friends
About midway through my college years, I realized all the people I randomly added weren’t really friends at all. Some I met only a few times, others I never met before.
Out of all of my Facebook friends, I probably only ever messaged 10 to 15% of them.
And probably that much were the only ones that ever interacted with any of my statuses or pictures. Also interesting, these people had tons of friends, so I kind of wonder if these people only add us to add to their friend list count and look more popular.
But some of you may be less worried about popularity. You may be more concerned about having connections. You’ll be happy to know there are many options in the world for connecting with people outside of Facebook.
You can find community groups based on your interests to meet new people. That can help make up for those Facebook groups you'll no longer see.
You could visit a local church or whatever religious group you feel comfortable with to find others to interact with and form close friendships. There are so many community events you can go to, classes that you can take, or just going to a book store and finding someone to start a chat with.
I realized Facebook just gave me the illusion that I was connected with people when I really wasn’t. So I got off and found people that I really connected with in other places.
I enjoyed regular meetings and phone or video-call conversations with those people. And that fulfilled the friendship desires that I thought I’d miss not being on Facebook.
Post-relationship status
It was fun letting people know I was in relationship. My college girlfriend was attractive, and she was also a bit popular herself, so by association it made me feel more attractive and popular.
Everybody liked our relationship status change and congratulated us. Getting likes on our loving statuses and pictures together throughout our relationship was fun.
But whenever you break-up, it’s not quite as fun anymore. Changing your status back to single or hiding it, and all your Facebook friends knowing you're no longer together.
But if you still find it nice to let people know of your happiness with someone new, that’s where your contact list comes in.
You can let those people know about the new person in your life whenever you want to. Those are the only people that need to know about your happy new relationship, not the random people you never talk to.
Curing boredom
If you get bored not being on Facebook, perhaps that indicates you haven’t discovered enough interests in life you’re passionate about. Those are the things that should excite us and get our attention more.
For myself, I really like writing. I can get sucked into writing these in depth posts for hours. I'm happy when I finally finish putting all my thoughts together to share with my readers.
Let getting off of Facebook be the time you re-discover one of your passions. Maybe you can pick up that guitar again and start making music.
Or maybe you can pick up that paint brush and start creating some art again. Ending your Facebook account could potentially lead you to more excitement in your life than you may have ever had before.
Don’t pressure yourself
It’s almost like a time honored tradition that whenever someone decides to leave Facebook, they have to announce it to everybody in one final status. I myself even did an hour by hour status update the last few hours leading up to my quitting Facebook one time before.
Of course I stayed off for a few days, and then I was right back on like nothing happened. I put unnecessary pressure on myself to stay off of Facebook.
When I finally did quit my personal Facebook for good, I didn't even give a warning about it. I just decided I was ready to get off and left without really letting anybody know.
I haven’t been on it since. So whenever you decide to quit Facebook, don’t put pressure on yourself with any major announcement that you’re leaving. Plus an announcement you’re leaving comes off pretty self-centered, and you don’t want to leave a bad impression of yourself.
Block the website
This might be a drastic step to take, and one that I never really thought to do myself, but it’s worth throwing out there.
You remember how your parents or school set the internet to block certain sites on your computer?
You can do the same for Facebook. Set up your internet settings to block Facebook from opening on your browser.
That way if you’re tempted to go back and you end up typing in the domain and hitting enter, it won’t immediately pop up on your screen. This puts an extra step you have to take in order to go ahead and access Facebook. Having that extra step you have to take could help discourage you from going ahead and getting back on.
Change the password
Before you leave, you can also change the password to something you won’t easily guess, which can be the extra barrier for if you end up unblocking Facebook. Write down a random set of letters and numbers, then change your password to that before you decide to deactivate.
Once you’ve done that, rip up the paper and throw it way. Think about the time it’ll take to request a forgot your password e-mail notification.
And then to go through the steps of changing your password. All that might be enough for you to change your mind and just keep staying off.
Accountability
For some people who use Facebook, it feels like a real addiction for them. As I discussed in an article on social media minimalism, there’s a reason for that involves dopamine. You can check it out here to learn more.
If it feels like you're really struggling, then you can tackle quitting Facebook like you would if you were addicted to something more serious. Have a close friend or family member help hold you accountable whenever you feel like going back on.
You can call them or text them during those times you feel your most intense urges. The person can help you focus on other things, and encourage you to keep going by reminding you of how well you’ve been doing staying off.
Facebook studies you should know
Since the social media platform has existed, researchers have looked into the effects of excessively using it.
The results show some intriguing information you might want to know about.
1. The more you use Facebook, the less happy you are
It’s said that the average person is on Facebook 50 minutes a day. Unfortunately, the longer you’re on the platform, the worse you end up feeling. Researchers found there was a connection between Facebook use and a decrease in overall physical well-being, mental well-being, and life satisfaction.
2. The less you use Facebook, the happier you are.
Research from Stanford university found that people who drop Facebook for a period of time experienced significant improvements in overall life satisfaction.
Other interesting things they discovered were that people spent more time doing offline activities, knew less about current events, and were less politically polarized.
3. Decreasing Facebook use can improve grades
University of Technology Sydney researchers found that students with low grades were able to boost their exam results by quitting their Facebook.
It’s believed that lower achieving students already struggle with focus, and Facebook use ends up being an added distraction from studying.
The benefits of quitting Facebook
1. Less negativity
For me, one of the biggest benefits of quitting Facebook was getting away from all the negativity. People don’t spread much positive vibes on social media these days.
Most of the time people are just constantly whining about somebody or something in their life not being that good. That has a way of bringing you down if you allow yourself to constantly read through those statuses.
2. Less of comparing myself to others
What also doesn’t get me down anymore is seeing all the people bragging about their lives all the time. I don't feel like competing with anyone, and I'm not seeing fake snapshots of someone else’s life that would make me feel like my life isn’t going that well.
Everybody mostly shares the good sides, and rarely ever shares the bad sides.
Additionally, most of the time people are only seeking social validation by showing off on social media. And it perhaps tells us they might not be as happy as they’re trying to show others.
Because if we feel good with what we’re doing, then we probably don’t need to tell a bunch of “friends” we never talk to. But of course with real friends and close family members, sharing good news with them is fine.
They actually want to see us happy. Those other people, probably not so much.
3. More time saved
I’m also saving a ton of time not being on Facebook. You can look no further for proof than this article I’ve devoted my time to writing.
If I had Facebook, I’d be constantly checking if my status got any likes. Reading the latest ridiculous thing somebody said.
And I’d be trying to think of the next witty or deep status update to type and get some likes and feel good about myself. You’d be surprised how good it feels to know you don’t have to get likes to validate your thoughts or decisions you make in life.
Being self-assured is a valuable trait to have.
Are you ready to quit Facebook for good?
To sum all the benefits up, getting off of Facebook allows you the opportunity to have a happier, more productive, real life. You’re no longer distracted by the petty things discussed on there that aren’t important.
You get to experience things more beyond just what you see staring at a screen all day. You know what’s better than getting likes?
Hearing a person’s voice over the phone that tells you congratulations or good job on something. Getting a hug from somebody you care about.
Spending time with friends and family where you get to see real smiles and hear real laughter. That's better and louder than any “lol” you could ever see on one of your statuses.
No longer using my personal Facebook account has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. If you’re ready for it to be one of your best decisions, then you’re ready to quit Facebook for good.
But if you decide someday you still find the platform useful, you can learn how to use social media wisely and mindfully.
New stories about Facebook
Is Facebook Bad for You? - In documents that were reviewed by the Wall Street Journal, Facebook researchers found that 1 in 8 Facebook users report they engage in compulsive use of social media. The compulsive use negatively impacted people's relationships, work, and sleep. 1 in 8 users adds up to about 360 million people.
Watch this video on YouTube
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I deleted my Facebook account because it began to poison my life – AIN.
UA December 14, 2016, 19:00
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Each of us has a Facebook account, and we all use it differently. However, some users may have begun to notice that the social network has ceased to give them the value for which they spend so much time on it. And it's not even about advertising and fakes that literally climb out of all the cracks. According to fintech and BigData specialist Timothy Myers, Facebook has become a battlefield. Here, best friends in an instant can become bitter enemies, and for an alternative point of view they are lynched without trial. Timothy retired from Facebook and did not regret it. He described his experience in a column on Bullshit.ist.
I think we all remember why we signed up for Facebook. For example, me - in order to gain access to a group in which my former classmates organized a reunion. Later, when my children were older, being on Facebook was a guarantee for me to be able to observe their online life.
I felt a little better knowing they were there in this new online world. It was valuable.
Months and years later, I found many old friends on Facebook. Childhood friends, colleagues and former colleagues. I liked that I could see into their lives. To see how their children grow up, to share their experience, both local and global, when the paths and worlds of people intersect. As I grew older, the opportunity to share both intimate and not so intimate parts of life with them seemed to me more and more honorable. The feeling of connection was soothing.
I especially liked birthdays. When so many people can send each other congratulations, both serious and a little frivolous. I myself was so pleased to receive a flurry of heartfelt wishes on my birthday. In a way, it brought into my adult life the feelings I had as a teenager at my birthday parties. When it’s not about gifts, but about the love that people radiate towards you, despite everyday worries and affairs.
Beginning of the end
I guess not everyone noticed when Facebook changed.
Did any of us suspect that advertising would take over Facebook and turn it into a PR platform? That it will become a place where fakes and posts of a bad nature float to the surface? Maybe.
When advertisements began to appear on the social network and we all liked the pages of brands with which we felt connected, we ourselves approved of the penetration of mercantilism into our lives. We ourselves have deliberately thrown open the doors to brands and targeting that advertisers build based on what we like. The more profit it all brought, the more ads appeared on Facebook.
I hid posts that I didn't want to see in my feed, but in retrospect, it seems to me that by doing so I only encouraged the marketing gods to test new types of ads that I would treat with more loyalty. And that was just the first wake-up call.
End
Facebook fakes and propaganda have exploded over the past year (and I suspect it's not the only thing poisoned by the past election). I remember pointing out to my friends and other users that the posts that appear in the feed are not factual, but no one seemed to care how "news" corresponded to reality.
Darkness crept into our virgin world, and people who previously seemed to me worthy representatives of society, like alcoholics desperate to get out of a binge, began to promote lies, falsifications and flat, disgusting stuff.
Best friends fought a war in the back alleys of Facebook, calling each other last words, unfriending each other, and vowing never to speak again. Absurdity, racism and outright hostility reigned in the tapes.
My friends no longer talked about their adventures, life events or interesting observations of the day, many retreated into the background, afraid to speak, lest they be kicked. Some people, myself included, tried to spread the truth and facts at a time when falsifications began to seem the norm. But this truth was met not with praise and joy, as I expected, but with malicious comments and replies.
Facebook has become a war zone. A global electronic city in which people hide in their homes and are afraid to go out into the yard, afraid to talk, afraid to live.
Facebook is mired in stupid and disgusting street fights and post-election hysteria, where people condemn each other and destroy on the spot. It has become a mecca of strife, snares and public executions, where people are lynched for daring to express alternative points of view.
Move on
A couple of weeks before the election, I realized that I had had enough. I said goodbye to everyone and announced to everyone how to find me if they do not have my number. When I decided to do this, I was overcome by fear and uncertainty. "What will i do? How will I communicate with people? How do I know what's going on in the world?" Then I realized what bothered me the most - what will happen to the stories and photos of my children that I shared and that I would like to keep? Luckily, they all survived thanks to the feed export feature, which allowed me to save everything I've ever posted to my computer.
I exported everything and then deleted my account.
At that very moment I felt a stone fall from my soul. The air seemed cleaner and the world brighter. “What to do with the free time from Facebook?” I was excited, I began to sort through in my mind the things that I could do. Read one new article more, write an article or even two...
Even though I spent only 10-15 minutes on Facebook, it left its mark on the whole day. I was wasting my time. And it became noticeable as the anger and resentment lasted much longer than my actual time on Facebook. Ever since the social network has become what it is today, it has ceased to give me value, and instead began to poison my life. I didn't realize it until I finally got it over with.
I'm writing this column four weeks after leaving Facebook and I don't miss it at all. I enjoy reading that extra article I have time for, I've had a few normal conversations with people close to me, and recently I even met in a coffee shop and chatted with a friend I was connected to on Facebook - in reality, face to face.
It's an amazing experience.
The more people I tell my story, the more often I hear the answer: “Yeah, I should get the hell out of Facebook too. I haven't heard from him in a long time." Addiction is real and millions of people have fallen victim to it. The value of social networks cannot be discarded, it is like a very important relationship with another person. But the bottom line is that relationships need to end if they become toxic. It's always hard. But you might be the next one to take that step.
How Facebook changed information technology
The company grew and had to develop tools to be able to use its product for millions, and then billions of people, from systems capable of processing an incredible amount of user information to data centers that could fit everything this data. Ultimately, Facebook decided to share its work with the world.
Because the company made them available to the public, many of these technologies have become industry standards.
“Facebook has had a big impact not only on how we organize our servers, but also how we write code for browsers and phones,” said Adam Neary, CTO of Airbnb. “The whole ecosystem works thanks to the technologies that Facebook has developed and made public.”
Birth of big data
One of the first Facebook developments that made a significant contribution to the development of the industry was Cassandra, a database system that could be distributed over hundreds and thousands of servers.
Such a system was developed before Facebook - Amazon and Google also worked on distributed databases, but neither company published their code. Facebook engineers Avinash Lakshman and Prashant Malik combined ideas from Amazon and Google documentation to create Cassandra. In 2008 they published its source code. Soon other companies began to use it.
Cassandra is now the 11th most popular database in the world. It is used by users and developers of companies such as Apple, Netflix, Instagram and Uber.
Photo: Facebook
Facebook was also one of the first developers of the open platform Hadoop, which has become almost synonymous with big data. Most of the early development of Hadoop was done from Google docs and owned by Yahoo. But Facebook was one of the first to use Hadoop and develop additional tools for the platform. Hadoop has spawned many startups, such as Cloudera, whose founders included former Facebook researcher Jeff Hammerbacher.
In recent years, Facebook has been actively researching artificial intelligence to get even more value out of data. In 2015, the company released several methods for using its AI algorithms on the Torch platform, almost a year before Google opened up TensorFlow. Facebook has started developing a new version of Torch, called PyTorch, which is now the third most popular AI framework.
Opening data centers
Facebook was not enough just to develop a program capable of processing the data of millions of users.
The company had to come up with computers and buildings to store all this information.
Over the years, Facebook has come up with some unusual ideas, from open-air data centers that use regular air to cool them, not industrial systems, to "modular" servers that can quickly replace processors and other critical components.
Photo: Facebook
Facebook published all of its ideas as part of the Open Compute project, which is now an independent organization. At first, they were met with criticism, but after a while, some companies, such as Taiwan's Quanta, began selling computers based on Facebook's developments.
Facebook is currently working with telcos like Ericsson and Deutsche Telekom on the Telecom Infra project. Together they want to create an open telecommunications infrastructure that will include the ARIES long-range antenna system and the unified wireless network of Terragraph cell towers.
The final piece of the puzzle
For the first ten years, companies used Facebook's open source work to power their internal infrastructures.
For example, Netflix uses Cassandra to manage information in the data center, but the user does not interact with the Facebook code on the site in any way. That changed in 2013 when Facebook released the React open source library, which allowed many companies to build web interfaces that look and feel like native applications.
React took some time to become popular. It is now the most popular library for building front-end applications. It is used by Airbnb, Netflix and Walmart.
“In 2015, I noticed that all of a sudden all my friends in San Francisco had stopped using jQuery and Angular and switched to React,” recalls Quincy Larson, founder of FreeCodeCamp, an educational website for programmers.
Most likely, this was due to the release of React Native. This version allows developers to build native Android and iOS apps with React. This means that you can use the same code for both web and mobile applications.
Other companies before Facebook developed tools for building mobile applications using web technologies.
