Friend or Foe?

[Baconrollstoplasticdolls]

I thought that I would gauge peoples opinions on social media friendships today. I specifically wanted to find out what people thought about Facebook.


I do have a Facebook account, along with around approximately another billion people so it is clearly popular. I use it mainly for Bacon Rolls to Plastic Dolls and RonniBobs these days as I don't seem to have the time to go on it to catch up with friends. When I can I do still enjoy popping on there to see what everyone is up to and I occasionally post pictures and write updates, but I am certainly not a Facebook junkie.


Facebook seems to change quite frequently too, whether it is all necessary I am not sure. I find that all of these platforms can be confusing enough without a constant merry go round of rules and appearance. What do you think about Facebook, is it losing its appeal, are Google+ and other similar sites catching up?


More to the point, online friendships. Do you think that you should stick to using social media to make friends, or just use it as a way of staying in touch with current friends? I imagine that if you do strike up online friendships with people then the likelihood of ever meeting up is slim. I mean how many friends do you actually need?




When I joined Facebook quite a few years ago I seemed to be ambushed by people that I had had a fleeting moment with, old school friends that I didn't speak to when I went to school, people that I could not place but knew me, and my favourite ones - the friend requests from the odd, clinically insane and complete strangers. I found myself being caught up in it all and accepting requests left right and centre. I found that over time almost everyone on there meant very little to me. I still didn't speak to these people and they still didn't talk to me so what was the point? I did get to know all of their secrets and daily rituals though... Terrific!


The online relationships that have caused the most problems have been with girlfriends. I have always liked to keep Facebook and loved ones separate. This isn't done with malice, because I am shielding dark and dastardly secrets, or I am trying to keep intimate liaisons a secret. It is done because conversations and banter can be taken out of context on line and it just leads to a quieter life when you do not have to be continuously defending yours and others comments. I am also not friends with some of my family online for similar reasons (all but the intimate liaisons). I just don?t want to offend anyone or fallout because of any misunderstandings. What do you think, am I alone in trying to lead a double life (kidding), or are you all very open and upfront and share everything with your partner. If you are friends online do you find that it causes any friction in your relationship?


I should point out that my girlfriend of 5 years and mummy to my 3 little girls is not included in these categories. I am not friends with her online because we live together and I talk to her every day, does that cover me from an ear bashing later?

[Dillytante]

I only joined FB at Christmas as I like to do my interneting anonymously. I don't want people I went to school with 20 years go knowing the minutiae of my life. It has been good for keeping up with family I wouldn't otherwise contact. I don't use it to contact people I see regularly though.

[INeedThatForkOff]

What are bacon rolls, plastic dolls and ronnibobs?

Personally I have most close family as friends on FB, including DH now he's back on there, though he rarely uses it. I probably overshare and if I really thought about my links with the people on my friends list, there are flippant or forceful things I say that I probably wouldn't say to them IRL. No one has ever had an outright issue with it. I'm sure that one or two roll their eyes as they clearly disagree with my outlook on life, as I do theirs, but as extended family members we tolerate one another.

I am quite trigger happy when it comes to unfriending people I don't see or who I find offensive. In the latter scenario I will usually call them on their views beforehand. As you say, in the earlier days of FB I accepted a flurry of friend requests from people I didn't really know, and am far more selective with these now.

[Baconrollstoplasticdolls]

Hi,

RonniBobs is my online business and Bacon Rolls to Plastic Dolls is my blog.

Thanks for sharing, I find it interesting how other people use it, not in a boring train spotting kind of way, just interesting :o)