Following reports that data-driven political analytics firm Cambridge Analytica harvested millions of Facebook user profiles for behavioural insights used to support the Trump 2016 presidential campaign, it is wise to assume that the less personal information you share on Facebook, the better.

But so many of us spend much time on this social networking platform. Facebook is a social, entertainment and information hub. Weaning ourselves off this source is difficult. You can always start by replacing the Facebook app on your smartphone with Facebook Lite.

Lite is only 1.68 megabytes in size and downloads and installs in about five seconds. But the best part is the basic features and pared-down interface: they don’t have the same pull as the regular app. For example, autoplay for videos – time suckage at its worst – is available only when you’re on wifi, so the Lite version will help curb the endless and mindless consumption of content you’re not even very interested in in the first place.

Delete your account if you wish but consider Facebook Lite as a minor deterrent to giving away so much time, energy and personal data (even your likes are gold dust to behavioural analytics firms), and consider what you are getting in return.

[ play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.facebook.liteOpens in new window ]