February 28: World Day Without Facebook

World Day Without Facebook invites you to cut the digital thread and explore other horizons on February 28, a date that millions of people already consider an annual appointment, a kind of ritual. Are you wondering if this break really makes sense in your already overflowing routine? In 2025, Facebook has nearly two billion users connected each month according to Statista. Yet, every year, on February 28, this number wavers, if only for a moment.

This World Day Without Facebook is surprising. Messages stop, notifications turn off, it’s rare, it resonates. It does not bury the digital world, it questions it. Dependence, routine, time slipping away. Once a year, the world allows itself the strange experience of absence. You continue this reflection, not to demonize, but to experiment, to question this famous digital void. February 28 serves as a reminder, a collective wake-up call: and you, what do you do when Facebook is silent? 

The tradition of February 28, why so much enthusiasm?

A hint of mini-revolution was born in 2011, where everything could have stopped at French-speaking forums, but ultimately, World Day Without Facebook quickly gained international scope. Initially carried by collectives inventing prevention against cyber-dependence, it finds its way into the calendars of the shortest month, perhaps to mark a simple and easy-to-remember reference point. Why, you ask? Because February 28 is neither Valentine's Day nor New Year, it closes the month without being burdened by commercial dates. Institutions, educators, health agencies, all get involved. The gesture is symbolic, cutting Facebook invites us to rethink the digital link, to understand what we consume, what we digest, in our daily exchanges.

World Day Without Facebook stands between major causes, shaking a more diffused but rarely discussed cause: our digital life balance. A break, almost unexpected, sneaks into your routines. **You pay attention to the frustration, the relief, the discomfort of a screen that turns off. Who distances your digital proximity, just for one day?** Why this date, precisely? Because it comes at a time when the calendar is running out of steam, when winter stretches, to break the grayness, to inject a hint of novelty into programmed boredom. Collectives made up of professionals and families disillusioned by dependence, sometimes supported by individuals seeking digital abstinence, have built this tradition. A kind of civic reflection laboratory, that’s what World Day Without Facebook becomes. The reasons quickly emerge: reduce cyber-dependence, highlight misinformation, re-question the idealized place of networks in private life, in short, provoke constructive discomfort. The media cannot resist: they amplify the phenomenon, sometimes taking the opportunity to relay the very excesses they denounce. A bit ironic, yes, but also an essential ingredient to shake off inertia. On February 28, it becomes a social game, a collective experience, sometimes even a challenge, or simply a pretext for change.

The impact of Facebook on personal life, what realities are hidden?

You inevitably feel Facebook's presence in your gestures, in your downtime, sometimes even in your dreams. Don’t deny it, there are those moments when the screen imposes itself, the urge rises, the finger scrolls. The symptoms sneak in everywhere, anxious checking, that fleeting fear of missing information, the famous FOMO, everyone experiences it, even those who seem most detached. The paradox arises, Facebook, meant to connect, sometimes isolates. In line, on the subway, in bed, it’s hard to say no to temptation. And age doesn’t protect, by the way: teenagers cling to social pressure, seniors watch for overdose. The smartphone has sown a dose of anxiety in all generations, even at night, sleep shatters. Researchers from Inserm are still analyzing it, their publications confirm it in 2025: more than a quarter of French teenagers consider their use of networks “excessive.” The World Health Organization warns about the risks, anxiety, attention disorders, confusion of biological rhythms. But what does a cut, even temporary, trigger?

Why does World Day Without Facebook become a safety valve? Because it creates surprise, breaks the rhythm, introduces a real pause. The world falls silent, family returns, reading becomes enjoyable again, silence invites itself, attention refocuses. The effect, sometimes, is disruptive. Even fleeting, the cut acts.

Among those who testify, Manon, 32, plays along: "I thought I would crack in ten minutes, but in the end, I lasted the day without the news feed. I rediscovered the terrace of my neighborhood, I talked to people, I looked up. In the evening, I felt rested, almost triumphant."

The absence of interruptions offers a luxury, that of time for oneself. Surprising, isn’t it? You wonder if the lack doesn’t open new doors?

Alternatives to experience February 28 differently

World Day Without Facebook doesn’t resemble a heavy prohibition, rather a light experimentation. You can choose: total disconnection or hybrid options, everything remains open. Manual hobbies are gaining popularity, why not grab a notebook, draw, send a handwritten letter, or simply stroll around the city? Outings to the park brave the February wind, people trade the screen for a real conversation, cooking for sharing, board games for regained laughter.

• Walk in the city or nature, without digital distraction
• Read or reread that novel abandoned on the shelf
• Organize a game night with neighbors or friends
• Participate in a local community activity

Some, however, keep a foot in the digital world differently. LinkedIn focuses attention on professional activity, Mastodon offers a more selective community, Whaller or Discord prioritize ethical communication. We relearn to select, to modulate our moments of interaction. Refusing Facebook for a day doesn’t prohibit discussion, but imposes choosing your interlocutors, your pace, the quality of the link. Creativity, ultimately, resurfaces, concentration too, discussions change tone, lengthen, you realize that the world doesn’t revolve solely around a timeline.

The divided opinion on World Day Without Facebook, a concept that divides?

Not everyone views this digital break in the same way. Some see it as a personal challenge, others as an unnecessary ordeal. Where do you stand? Does the technological void scare you, or does it attract you? According to an IFOP study, nearly 38% of French people test long breaks from networks. Often, they note a resurgence of energy, a renewed desire to look around them. Teenagers feel social pressure, seniors seek distance, young adults savor the reset effect. Psychologists emphasize the need to learn to tame digital frustration. Teachers recommend gentle strategies, while parents advocate for collective breaks as a family. Since the start of the 2025 school year, prevention of digital risk is even entering schools. In France, the debate is opening up, schools, associations, institutions are taking it up, campaigns are emerging, voices are being freed. The digital world is exploding, but World Day Without Facebook stands out as a collective self-regulation valve, perhaps even the only one to truly challenge the omnipotence of platforms. On February 28, the question returns, persistent: will you disconnect, turn the screen black, reinvest your habits, attempt this famous collective reset? Rest assured, nothing will stop, the world will continue. Who knows, you might discover an unexpected slice of life, far from the news feed.