To be absolutely sick of people bragging on social media

[SeagullSal]

It's reached ridiculous proportions, people 'checking in' at posh hotels, sipping glasses of Champers in spas and even documenting new car purchases (that seems to be the new thing with a hands over eyes emoticon denoting the 'worrying' amount of money that they'll soon be spending.)

I am happy for people having nice times - but it's the ones who document every single sneeze of good fortune that I'm absolutely sick of.

Do these people not realise that a lot of people have nice times in nice places but just don't wish to ram it down other people's throats in a continuous stream?

Time I took a break I think. And breathe.

I've not read the full thread, but it's threads like this that make me feel like outing myself, and asking all the miserable fuckers on here to please delete me on Facebook if you recognise me.

I use Facebook as a virtual diary - I have journaled my experience with cancer, immigrating, the lives and achievements of my children, and the time I 'lost' my skirt in the cinema in full view of rows J-Z.

I'm just as likely to post about how miserable being bald made me as I am to post brag about the 30kgs I lost two years ago, or the fact that I stayed in a beautiful prestigious motel by myself, just for the hell of it! And guess what? Because the people on my Facebook are actually my friends, and seem to quite like me(!?), they are supportive, excited for/with me, and funnily enough, I like and respect them enough to appreciate their achievements, excitements and yes, their downfalls too.

I suppose I'm either just lucky or discerning enough to have Facebook friends whose posts don't 'sicken' me, and who seem quite favourable towards mine too.

As has been said many many times, Facebook isn't compulsory, and has many ways to filter what you see, so why not grow the fuck up about it, take some responsibility and stop moaning about something which is completely within your control. Or maybe you've nothing more important to concern yourself with, and enjoy begrudging other people's good times?

I lasted a couple of months on Fuck Off Book. Inspiring quotes on cloud pictures, passive aggressive rants and liars turned me off. I couldn't get into it. Deleted the bloody thing it was so irritating.

Brilliant post WhereTheFuckIsMyFuckingCoat.

YABU to whinge about things you can very easily change and should be taking responsibility for. I'm good friends and FB friends with people who don't follow me and who I don't follow. Do they care? No. Do I care? No. Of course we don't, we just use our facebook for different things. So stop using 'I sit next to someone at work so I have to read everything they post on facebook even though I hate it so I can have a good old judgey whinge about it' as an excuse. Of course you don't. They don't set you a quiz on their facebook feed or something do they?

Bragging is not endemic or normal or relentless on my facebook and the facebook of many other posters here so YABU to be getting 'absolutely sick' of it. It's your facebook, do something about it!

But as an aside, being noticeably proud of your achievements, happy in the good times you're having, and keeping an online record of same is not the sign of an upbringing lacking in class. I used to have shite self esteem and it got much better once I recognised more positives. I find sharing those positives with friends using a very easy online tool a bit brilliant. I'm quite glad I didn't have a childhood that taught me to see doing that as 'bragging' or 'fucking rude'.

An ex-boyfriend of mine put up a series of photos of his trip to B&Q. Give me aspirational living over that any day!

I totally agree with WhereTheFuckIsMyFUckingCoat it is like a diary or a scrapbook and lovely to share with people that really care about you.

OP you just need to scroll over the braggers and enjoy it for what it is. I work from home on my own a lot so it is lovely to connect with people on FB a couple of times a day. We live such disconnected lives compared to our parents/grandparents and I think that feeling of checking in with people is lovely. I cannot understand why you wouldn't feel happiness at your friends or family enjoying themselves? Ok bragging about stuff isn't particularly nice, but I think that says more about the way you perceive it than the person posting. If someone loves handbags then yes go ahead and tell us all about the new Mulberry! I couldn't give a stuff about handbags so it doesn't make me jealous or annoyed just pleased they have managed to achieve what they want out of life.

You get what you put into it, yes I've unfollowed a few friends who had decidedly right wing views that I didn't know about but the rest of them are just fine as they are, we all have our faults and irritations to other people. I post lots of photos of woods, trees, flowers etc because I love photography - maybe all my FB friends glaze over and scroll past quickly who knows? I'm fine with that though as the beauty of it is we can just scroll over without causing offence because we're looking at it in the privacy of our own home rather than face to face?

I agree OP. I actually feel embarrassed for people who use FB like this. Its so cringe. Get some dignity. Jeez.

This is why I'm only friends on Facebook with people who are actually my friends. I have friends who do post all the incredible places they travel to - because they've worked fucking hard for it and I know what they've had to do to get there. Even if I've had a rubbish summer and not been anywhere myself they're my friends and I'm happy for them.

I love FB - I have lived all over the world in 6 countries in the last 20 years, my friends are spread all over the world, none of my best friends live near me. Yet I still know what is going on in their lives, what their kids are up to, where they've been on holiday and so on, and vice versa.

My rule of thumb re FB friends is - if I was in the same city/town/state as them would I get together for coffee or wine? If I bumped into them in the street would I be happy to see them and suggest coffee or wine? If the answer to these questions is no, they don't make the list. I have no problems with ignoring a friend request from people who I don't know or don't particularly get on with.

I love to see what my friend are up to and am happy for their successes, cars, holidays etc. FB is a place to post happy stuff, pics of my animals, silly stories of life in our household and updates on our lives. I don't understand the food pics, but others don't understand my dog/cat/horse pics - but all is good.

FB is a choice - you can join in or not.

I never see it as I don't use it. Dead easy.

Also I have never wanted what others have. What makes me happy is things like the sunshine or a blade of grass or cuddle from the children so why would it matter if someone else has an Aston Martin or whatever.

"A scientific study showed that the people who brag most on social media are insecure/ unhappy"

Was that carried out by Researchers. At the University of Research?

What research?

Just putting "a scientific study" at the front of an objective comment doesn't make it true!

And I agree, if someone is annoying you, hide or unfriend them. Or scroll past. Or deactivate your account. It's not obligatory to be on FB!

I put all the creeps and braggers on a back burner by relegating them to 'acquaintances'. I did a massive moody and irrational cull a few years prior to that and regretted it, so I wasn't keen to get rid of them entirely. I then unfollowed a lot of pages that posted a whole load of shite.

It took a bit of work but was well worth it. I felt deleting facebook was throwing the baby out with the bathwater - it is a good tool overall. I felt the relegation was a very petty thing to do at the time, particularly when I was removing people for simple envy (how I wish I had the cash to flash) but this thread has been great. It was the right thing to do! It's my facebook, I'll run it how I like

"it is like a diary or a scrapbook"

Well, diaries are supposed to be private, and as for a scrapbook - have you ever experienced the dreadful torture of being subjected to someone's scrapbook? "And here's the menu from the restaurant we went to on the first night... And this is the ticket stub from the funicular railway... " Aaaggggh!!!

I actually feel embarrassed for people who use FB like this. It’s so cringe. Get some dignity. Jeez.

Blimey. You make it sound like they strap you to a chair and beam their news straight into your eyes while you cringe away. Or as per the OP: ram it down other people's throats in a continuous stream. They simply don't do this you know.

I actually feel embarrassed for people who can’t stand their facebook feeds & facebook friends this much and can't find the unfollow button. Get some responsibility. Jeez.

My use of facebook sounds very like desertmum’s. Great fun with my friends.

I don't have Facebook anymore obviously Raiyia otherwise I wouldn't be slagging it off. So no need to tell me to have some responsibility using it.

You enjoy wasting your life on it though . Just a thought, "great fun" with friends tends to better when you, you know, actually see them in the real world..

I find it tends to be the ones selling forever living who brag the most.. Yet allegedly have given up on the sort of lives that require boasts and bragging to survive leaving the rest of us plebs in our crap Nhs jobs - skint but worthwhile

hollieberrie - Yeah, kinda tricky when one of my best friends lives in Sydney though .

Re: it being a waste of life:

• A group of my friends who now live in places as diverse as the Midlands, US, Paris, Australia get together once a week at the same time on it to chat and joke about a shared interest. We have a great time.

• My friend with breast cancer is documenting her experience like WhereTheFuckIsMyFuckingCoat did. The support she gets is amazing

• My friend who lives somewhere pretty remote came out of surgery yesterday. Is he bored in his bed today? Nope, his newsfeed is a riot of jokes and banter

• I'm training for a particular sporting thing (no I don't post every training session before you ask). I'm a member of a group also training. I posted a question on the group. The answers I got back I'm going to put into practice tonight. I'm looking forward to it - really helpful.

• A friend posted an article on 'Direct actions you can take to help refugees'. Lots of good ideas. Done a couple already. Will re-post on FB later

• Another friend went to a thing with her DD as she saw my pictures of me going to same thing with my DSs last week. She didn't know about it before then and had a great time.

Struggling to see the cringey life wasting in these?

But anyway, you've taken responsibility, as you've decided it's not for you. Totally fair enough. DSis did same. Joined, took one look around, thought nope and went to twitter. Fair enough.

But doing facebook just to whinge about how sickening it is?

You FB fanatics on here should read "Circle" by Dave Eggers. It's being made into a film.

But please don't disturb other cinemagoers by posting selfies of you at the cinema watching the film and updates on the plot...

I am bemused by social media. People can lead normal lives without it, thereby avoiding this affected posturing.

Can someone explain to me, off the point though it is, why grown women do the duck face selfie thing - it's just so toe curlingly awul. Selfies are awful, actually, full stop.

Well I had a lovely time at lunch today, at the Michelin starred restaurant, and I posted many photos.
I also posted a photo of my cat lying down on a coat.

I have no idea what the pout/duck face thing is all about. There's a mother at my DD's school (also a family friend of my in laws) who walks about in RL with a perfectly normal facial expresssions. Weirdly though in every SINGLE FB picture, even holding a friend's newborn baby or in a park with her young daughters, she has a ridiculous duck face pout on her face. WTF is that about? She's late 30's in age too.

I think the duck face is meant to be sexy. It isn't. Reminds me of readers wives.

Facebook bragging is boring. People aren't hanging onto your every word breathlessly, aching for pics of your child in (identifiable!) school uniform, pics of what you're eating, running commentary if you're at or going to see a film etc. There may be super interest if you're a celeb but apart from that - nope. It is what it is...acknowledging bragging doesn't mean a person is miserable, its just people that brag don't like it mentioned. I don't too much mind FB I have a laugh on there - but thats probably because friends I know are braggers complete with cringy memes are put straight into acquaintances. & I still see friends in real-life ...if you have to view your friends' lives through FB then you're not really friends anyway. I've seen a similar thread to this before with some people saying they're too busy to see friends so FB is necessary; but unless you're running a country you can find time. If you don't, its because you don't want to. I do think FB is good if you're truly housebound, however.

I you're on FB you're not a particularly private person anyway and thats fine.but when bragging is taken to the extreme of course its tedious. You'd avoid an over-braggy friend in real-life, wouldn't you?

Im bemused by the fact that it isn't teens doing all this, its grown ups maybe people need FB as a definition of their existence. But yeah, unless its used in lighthearted manner, or putting up music or to do with a hobby then I can't get into it. Thank God for the Acquaintance and Restricted functions.

But selfie-sticks and duck faces are here to stay ...

Why did you post many photos of your Michelin lunch?

That's bragging - cat lying down is not.