Pew Study Finds 61% Of Facebook Users Have Taken Extended Breaks

For some, Facebook has simply become a part of day-to-day life, but for others, it can be hard to keep up with the constant stream of (sometimes pointless) status updates. A new poll from the Pew Internet & American Life Project suggests that many Facebook users take breaks from the social network from time to time, with these breaks stretching for weeks at a time. If you have ever felt overwhelmed by Facebook, it would seem you're not alone.

The survey of 1,006 adults found that 61% of current Facebook users have taken a break from the social network that lasted several weeks or more. 21% of these users said they took their break from the site because they were too busy to visit, while 10% said they took a break because they just weren't interested in the site. 9% cited too much drama as the cause of their departure, while 8% recognized that they were spending too much time on Facebook and decided to give the social network a rest as a result.

The survey told us some other interesting things, including that 67% of the online adults polled use Facebook. Of the online adults who don't use Facebook, 20% percent said they did at one time in the past but don't any longer, while 8% said they would like to start using it in the future. We're not sure what's stopping them from just opening an account now, but it seems there are some folks who aspire to have a Facebook account of their own someday.

The survey was carried out in December, with adults from across the continental United States polled. It's interesting to hear that so many users say they've taken a break from Facebook, especially when it seems like everyone uses Facebook these days. Have you ever needed to spend some time away from the incredibly popular social network?