, and let's face it, more people probably are these days than not, it is completely normal to be craving attention and approval with what you post? That may well be a bad thing but everybody on facebook still seems to be at it.
Why do so many people try to put others down (on mn specifically, I haven't seen it much in real life) about the way they use facebook? So many threads (not just today's) that condemn people for 'bragging' 'stealth posting' 'attention seeking' 'boring people' 'being superior' 'being pfb' 'going on and on and on about your kids' 'making out your life is so great' etc etc etc. I don't understand what these critical people do on facebook that mean they see all of this but apparently commit none of these crimes themselves and find it pathetic/laughable/annoying. If it's that appalling to them why are they still using the site?
I agree that posting your entire life for public viewing is probably is a very negative phenomenon. But it's here to stay. I think the way we communicate and the way we respond to what is going on in our own lives has been changed forever by facebook. I'm a deeply insecure person and, although I hate to admit it, it has now genuinely become the case that my enjoyment of an exciting event, funny moment or achievement is actually made greater by posting about it on facebook and getting likes and comments. I have a rule to myself that what I post has to be either entertaining, interesting or informative to at least a few people (ie no pictures of my dinner!) but, other than that, I am a shameless attention and approval hunter. If I think of a good comment I will post it while I am out supposedly enjoying what I am posting about. That is pathetic, I am aware of that. But I assume, from what I see on my newsfeed every day, that almost every other facebook user is suffering from the same modern curse.
Obviously note everyone is interested by everything somebody posts. I personally, don't really want to read about what someone is cooking, that someone's child threw up or that someone has checked in to a pub. But I assume that many people don't want to see my photos of the set of my latest school production or read my experiences at my latest dance class or my rants about 'insert X view here'. But I know (and see) that somebody seems to be interested in everything. And that validates everyone to keep doing it.
Am I wrong that so many people do this? Are the majority of mn users really so different? Anyone else care to admit to seeking validation for their lives via social media??
I know maybe three people that don't do this ever - two because they are self confident and genuinely happy with their own lives and too busy to go posting about it. The third because she is very unhappy with her life and it upsets her to see what others are doing/have (even though she knows it's exaggerated, contrived and/or rose tinted). And none of those people use facebook at all.