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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think the end is nigh for Facebook?

121 replies

Rabbit01 · 30/03/2017 11:07

Am I the only one to get irritated by the self congratulating posts of offspring doing amazing things, photos of saying goodbye to old car and hello my new Range Rover, or 'feeling content' headed photos of posters on holiday, or look at me looking beautiful and pouting photos by 40yr old mums? Perhaps I am miserable, but feeling a bit over it and feel,pressured to like such posts in case seen to not liking...oh the dilemma!!

OP posts:
JonesyAndTheSalad · 30/03/2017 12:20

JHM did they not say how many people are using it literally as The Yellow Pages? Some people...quite a lot actually, don't Google when they're looking for a plumber say...or someone to clean their carpets, or a nail technician or a vet....they put it straight into FB search engine.

Because there they can read reviews they trust. If they don't put it into the search box, then they just ask...and their friends link them to the business pages on FB that they've used.

It's a very valuable business tool.

littlefrog3 · 30/03/2017 12:24

Yeah this 'you don't have a heart, if you don't share this pic of this Syrian refugee' type posts, and the Brexit rants, and the constant posting of pics and posts (a dozen or more times,) a day of peoples babies/toddlers get tedious. But very few of my friends are like this; as I said, only about 5 or 6 out of over a 100.

The good outweighs the bad, and facebook snobbery pisses me off. Some people act like anyone on it is a sad loser with no real friends, and we're all thick chavs with less of an I.Q. than a plastic duck.

If you don't like it, stay away from it. It's not fucking rocket science!

LellyMcKelly · 30/03/2017 12:29

FB is only the medium. You control what you see or don't see. You can unfriend, mute, choose the advertising you want, keep it just for family and school announcements, use groups, etc. It's up to you.

TondelayaDellaVentamiglia · 30/03/2017 12:32

I am beginning to think you get the fb you deserve tbh

It's not compulsory, and if you do not have the know how to deal with any ads/spam/marry me preety laddddy messages/puerile memes then maybe you should not be allowed on the WWW?

And really if you can't be pleased for people who you are supposed to like then you should take a long look at yourself .

PovertyPain · 30/03/2017 12:34

I should add, I actually love FB and find it brilliant for business and keeping in touch with friends/family.

HeadDreamer · 30/03/2017 12:36

i think kids are internet savvy, they know what goes on stays around, and if they're looking for careers/to be taken seriously they need to use more private platforms.

My eldest and her friends have been on FB since time immemorial, they post very little on it but use twitter/snapchat/instagram as do the students I know.

Twitter and instagram aren't any more private than facebook. If all you are doing is DM on twitter than it's just facebook messager. And facebook messager is like whatsapp. There's also private groups. Instagram can be private or public on its photos.

Clandestino · 30/03/2017 12:39

Depends on what friends you have. Mine are more prone to sharing political stuff, culture and sweary jokes, with a bit of family photos.

thetemptationofchocolate · 30/03/2017 12:39

My fb feed is full of cat pictures and ponies. I quite enjoy that :)

Roanoke · 30/03/2017 12:44

No, because I'm not friends with people who do that.

They never post self-congratulatory stuff (apart from rare occasions when it's well deserved) nor strong-too-long memes. I would probably be unlikely to befriend anyone who did that kind of thing anyway.

TheGirlWhoWasntThere · 30/03/2017 12:46

Facebook own both instagram and whatsapp!
I just Googled it.

Why does that seem slightly sinister to me?
Smile

PollyPerky · 30/03/2017 12:51

You can choose to hide posts of people who are your friends. So they are still your friends, but you are spared accounts of their dreams, their holidays, their meals that they photograph, the little 'philosophies' they post ( quotes from the great and the good) and other tedious things.

tabbymog · 30/03/2017 12:54

To think the end of nigh for Facebook? Unreasonable? Absolutely.

Remember the advertising aphorism that's far, far older than Facebook, and even older than me... if you're not paying for the product, you are the product. And what needs to be added on to that is: and you're being sold to the advertisers. That's what Facebook is, that's what its business model is - selling advertising space. Anything else Zuckerberg says to the contrary is false. He's not stupid.

knowler · 30/03/2017 12:54

No, I don't think the end is nigh at all for Facebook. It's huge and is constantly innovating - that's why it's still here while other tech/dotcoms have disappeared.

My feed actually has very little from 'friends' - I use it as a way to keep up with groups and get information from people or groups that i find interesting.

I'm very careful to unfollow or defriend anyone who posts crap (that crap as defined by me :) ). Why don't you just do the same?

Epipgab · 30/03/2017 13:00

Just leave Facebook. It's great to hear people's good news, but there's a difference between that and a constant boast-fest. It brings out the worst side of people who are perfectly nice in real life, but on FB suddenly get fanatically political, smug, attention-seeking or virtue-signally.

FB is a "one size fits all" type of communication. IRL you have different conversations with different people, and you can be tactful if some things would be better left unsaid, or said another time.

supersop60 · 30/03/2017 13:06

I posted something relating to my daughter's depression recently. ONE comment. So it's back to the cute kittens and holiday snaps then......

user1483387154 · 30/03/2017 13:08

Definitely the friends you have.

DaringDating · 30/03/2017 13:14

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Violetcharlotte · 30/03/2017 13:21

I do think Facebook has changed. When I look back on Timehop, there used to be a lot of 'stream of consciousness' comments, some of them which were quite funny and gave a good insight into what someone was really like. Nowadays I see less people posting, but the same few people posting my more. And the content's all very stylised, designed to impress stuff, as if people are almost creating their own 'brand'.

I do use it, but rarely ever post anymore, and I've hidden a large number of people. My feed is now mainly pages of things I'm interested in, which is great.

I think the popularity of Facebook as a channel for social networking is certainly on the decline, with people switching to message apps and sharing conversations with a select group, rather than broadcasting to the world.

bonbonours · 30/03/2017 13:26

I love posts which show me what my friends are doing in life, especially the ones who live far away, and especially those who have kids. On the other hand, I feel much more disconnected from the friends who aren't on Facebook, or who rarely post on there. I post stuff about my kids all the time, if people don't like it they can unfriend me. But the feedback I get it that people do like it, I often get people saying (in real life as well as actually on Facebook "I love seeing what the kids are up to."

I only have Facebook friends who I am actually friends with, maybe that makes a difference.

Dearlittleflo · 30/03/2017 13:30

Just mute the shit people.

My FB feed is 90% anti-Brexit articles and analysis, 10% obscure poetry and art projects. Love it. Anyone posting brags would get muted asap. Also, what sort of stupid cunt brags about a car? May as well just post your bank statement.

PushingThru · 30/03/2017 13:37

Nobody gives a crap what kids use - they're penniless - FB is designed for interactive and dynamic advertising.

SomewhatIdiosyncratic · 30/03/2017 13:43

I agree that it's all about the people you know and the controls you use.

My default post is to "friends except acquaintances" which means I don't inflict much detail on school friends I've not seen in 20 years. I am selective about who I accept in the first place. I do hide people with repetitive content. Sadly there doesn't seem to be a way to filter what you see from people, so you're interested in their personal content but not their shares.

It has evolved and become less personal and more multipurpose with groups and sharing news/ topical/ interests.

I don't think it's going anywhere in a hurry as it has a stable demographic of users and covers a broad base of functions.

NorksAkimbo72 · 30/03/2017 13:44

I liked what a pp said about FB being defined by who you associate with. If the majority of your 'friends' are posting boastful, pouty, all happy families or political rants, Well, you've chosen them, haven't you?
My FB rule is this: if I'm not happy to host you in person for a cup of tea or a glass of wine, you're out. I have friends and family in other countries, who like seeing photos of my kids from time to time and vice versa, so I love being connected with them regularly, but I don't accept requests from anyone who I wouldn't hang out with in person!

MycatsaPirate · 30/03/2017 13:56

Well I bloody love facebook.

I have friends from where I previously lived (500 miles away) so we stay in touch and keep up to date. I have friends here, I'm in a lot of groups and have made new friends through those.

My feed is full of amusing tales, cat videos and political memes. I scroll past stuff I don't like because it takes a second out of my life to do that.

If your newsfeed is full of crap, it's because you need better friends.

floraeasy · 30/03/2017 13:59

but feeling a bit over it and feel,pressured to like such posts in case seen to not liking...oh the dilemma!!

If you are over FB and it's no longer bringing anything to your life, maybe it's time to let it go. Gravitate towards social media you DO like - Instagram? Twitter? Mind you, they can be abused by narcissists just as surely as FB.