About posts on fb groups..."What's on for kids today?"

[cheapandcheerful]

This really irks me and I don't know if IBU as so many people seem to do it.

My local town has a fb group for local mums and there are SO many posts along the lines of "What can I do today with my dc". It just strikes me that even the question itself is lazy. There are so many websites with listings of things to do in the local area which these people could just as easily look at as anyone else. And why can't these people just think of things themselves. The park never goes anywhere and is free.

So far I have managed to refrain from commenting ...

YABU and a bit mean.

Perhaps they have been to the park a million times and want recommendations from others of alternatives. Isn't that the point of the group? Perhaps they want to have a face they recognise at a group? Even if that face is an almost total stranger on Facebook, it's better than the horrible daunting prospect of walking into a room of absolute strangers at some toddler group.

Actually, OP, I think YANB totally U. I'm really surprised at the number of parents who use our local FB groups as Google. I think it's partly laziness and partly poor literacy which means that they find an internet search genuinely difficult.

It's worrying - the received wisdom is that only older generations struggle to find information online, but this would suggest that plenty of younger people can't or don't either.

Soo not only are these parents lazy but illiterate ok then

YABU, sorry, and Miss I try to google but I'm always finding that pages are out of date - sometimes they say "last updated 2011" or whatever - or they say, please contact the group before turning up to make sure it's still running. I'd rather just quickly ask someone local than call a church or leisure centre or whatever. Plus it's useful for other reasons - e.g. finding out if a soft play is dirty and horrible, or if a particular place is suitable for a young toddler - I'd always rather get opinions from other local parents before schlepping us over there to find out myself.
I think it's really unlikely that everyone who asks these questions are not literate enough to do an internet search. I sometimes ask these questions on our FB group and I have three degrees.

I'm not illiterate and I'm perfectly capable of doing a google search missturnstiles. But you do remember a time before Google when we used to actually converse with people and ask them questions instead don't you? Don't you think that asking actual real people is still an option in this day and age? Or should we rely on Google for every single decision we need to make?

No, MrsJayy. That's not my point.

There are lots of posts on my local group regarding local and council services - 'when is the deadline for school admissions?' 'when do I find out if my child has got a school place?' 'what's happening with the bin collections over the bank holiday?'

All of this information is available on the council website, so either posters find it quicker and easier to post on FB, or the council website is not clear enough. If it's the latter, then that's a problem and it needs to be addressed.

I am a secondary English teacher. I see many, many pupils who are overwhelmed by large blocks of text and I work very hard to equip them with the literacy skills that they will need to function as an adult. Sometimes when kids leave us I worry that they will struggle. I recognise traits from these students in some of the posters on the local FB group and it worries me.

I am the last person in the world who would criticise someone for having poor literacy. I understand the problem better than most.

Yes before Google we conversed I can remember before internet and you asked people Facebook is just a new version of that it's like a post on here I want to go to Spain on holiday where is nice of course they could Google or go to a travel agent but it's just a social thing

I'm not illiterate and I'm perfectly capable of doing a google search missturnstiles. But you do remember a time before Google when we used to actually converse with people and ask them questions instead don't you? Don't you think that asking actual real people is still an option in this day and age? Or should we rely on Google for every single decision we need to make?

Absolutely. But this only works if the people you are asking are reliable. Many Facebook threads descend into confusion as people post rumours, misconceptions and plain wrong information as fact.

Not many teenagers are overly concerned about bank holiday bin days tbf

What's your point? They aren't generally interested in the Reception admissions deadline either.

I just think you are misunderstanding Facebook its like striking up a conversation at a bus stop its just chat and nothing to do with lazy or literacy

Fair enough. I am particularly sensitive to literacy issues and I do worry about how some of our school leavers are going to cope when they leave school, especially once they have their own families.

These kids don't know any diffent the internet is second nature at least If they are asking a question on Facebook they are not struggling

All i've heard about fb lately is people complaining! I'm glad I don't bother with it.

well the other thing is that they will get other mothers opinions on a certain place, activity etc . . . so will find out if it's actually worth going there. Websites and other advertising will only state good things about a place, yet finding out what other people's experiences have been is much more helpful.

MissTurnstiles, I really don't think I see many, many pupils who are overwhelmed by large blocks of text and I work very hard to equip them with the literacy skills that they will need to function as an adult has much to do with people posting on a FB local parenting group.

The OP didn't actually mention people asking about council services and school dates, but I don't think asking about those in a FB page has much to do with laziness or illiteracy. It's really rare to see someone ask a question on our local FB page without interacting with the respondents, or at the very least thanking people. They don't use it in the same way as Ask Jeeves (shows age) Google: that's part of the appeal. Someone might ask about school dates, but also just want to hear from other people going through the same process, get confirmation they haven't misunderstood, etc. Rumours and misinformation definitely feature, but they're usually corrected. Our local FB page is a really good community resource, not a static directory of links.

Yabvvu
I was a very lonely sahm and if I'd had access to an Fb page like that I would've loved to have known what was going on so I could join in. Nothing to do with being lazy thanks very much 😡

Baboooshka it's a fair point. I've acknowledged upthread that my perspective is different to most.

I'm really surprised at the number of parents who use our local FB groups as Google. I think it's partly laziness

This baffles me. Why is google the only place a person should go to find something out and why is it lazy if the look elsewhere. It doesnt take less effort to post the same question in a FB group and you are far more likely to get more specific results tailored to your own requirements from people who have actually been to those places and can recommend things. Please explain where the lazy element comes in?

YANBU.