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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To detest FaceTime.

48 replies

Happyhippy45 · 14/05/2017 21:47

It makes me feel so uncomfortable. I HATE seeing myself on the screen and feel really self conscious.
In real life I'll happily chat to people without feeling self conscious but as soon as I hear that FaceTime alert I swear I start blushing.
It's always my inlaws that FaceTime me. am wondering if that's got something to do with it
My own family feel the same way about it I do.
Does anyone else get like this and are there any ways around it?

OP posts:
Mummamayhem · 14/05/2017 21:47

Here here

Lulu1083 · 14/05/2017 21:51

YANBU. Bloody hate it.

Maxandrubyrubyandmax · 14/05/2017 21:51

Hate it and it's such a major pita. When I'm on a normal call I can do other things. Hate having to have face to face conversations with people over the phone when I've just got in from work etc.

RitaConnors · 14/05/2017 21:51

It made an enormous difference to us when we lived abroad. To be able to actually see the people we loved - for free! It was amazing. My kids would talk to their cousins and friends for hours.

PookieDo · 14/05/2017 21:53

I use it to talk to my 2yo niece so I don't really care what I look like

ShinyGirl · 14/05/2017 21:53

I love it. I get to ser my DCs who are at University hundreds of miles away.

Original poster
Happyhippy45 · 14/05/2017 21:56

Rita I know people who regularly use FaceTime and enjoy it. We got my MIL an iPad so she could see her family who live overseas. She loves it. Other friends who live away from their family speak regularly. I think the idea of it is fantastic. I suppose I could get used to it over a very fucking long time but I absolutely dread being FaceTimed.

OP posts:
Original poster
Happyhippy45 · 14/05/2017 21:58

shiny I think I could FaceTime my (adult) kids and DH but that's about it.

OP posts:
NavyandWhite · 14/05/2017 22:01

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MotherPie · 14/05/2017 22:05

My 4 year old loves FaceTiming family. I'm not a fan but only because he walks round the house showing them various shite how messy it is, not how they see it IRL

readyforno2 · 14/05/2017 22:05

I hate the way I look on FaceTime, but we use it regularly. My dh works offshore 4 weeks on, 4 off. It's sometimes nice to see his face

Mrsglitterfairy · 14/05/2017 22:06

I don't use it often but we loved it when we went on honeymoon last year and Facetimed the DCs back home. We only really use it when they stay out but love it then

shinyredbus · 14/05/2017 22:06

yabu - without it my children would never see/know my family who live in another continent. We only visit them once a year.

WhatToDoAboutThis2017 · 14/05/2017 22:26

Oh I love FaceTime Grin

Cleanermaidcook · 14/05/2017 23:02

Oh i love it, it's the only way i get to see my granddaughter 500 miles away and she can see her grandma and know who i am. I know what you mean about having to look at yourself though, ive perfected the art of not looking in the bottom corner of the screen.x

Herbie22 · 14/05/2017 23:04

Hate it! Me and DSis had a row the other day over it because the sound quality is so low and she kept guessing as to what I had said rather than asking me to repeat myself Blush

FeedMeAndTellMeImPretty · 14/05/2017 23:50

I prefer it to phone calls as I find it easier to take the cues in a conversation when you can see the other person's face. On the phone I have to shut my eyes to block everything else out so I can concentrate!

I find it better if I hold the phone or ipad a bit further from my face or I look a bit moon-faced, it has a kind of fish-eye lens effect if you get too close!

For me it's a god-send to keep in touch with DP when he's away on business. Also to speak to the DCs when they are with their dad, but we usually just stick to messages.

One thing I do hate is being in the same room as someone else having a FT conversation. It' s quite intrusive in a way that hearing one side of a chat isn't. It's harder not to listen in and then you hear all the background noise too - DP speaks to his DD on Facetime and then I can hear his ex chatting in the background, in my house Angry the cheek! So yeah, mixed feelings but mainly positive for me.

It would be good if you could hide the pic of yourself and just see the other person, maybe cover yourself up with post-it note?!

FeedMeAndTellMeImPretty · 14/05/2017 23:51

yeah, it does rely on a good connection Herbie, nothing more frustrating than stalling and buffering.

Nestofvipers · 15/05/2017 00:03

I hate it too. I switched it off on my phone which solved the issue until it somehow worked out how to switch itself back on.

Teabagtits · 15/05/2017 00:12

My mum always facetimes me as the phone signal in her cottage is crap but I despise seeing myself be it in a photo or being filmed or whatever. I think FaceTime is particularly unflattering and I despise watching my mum smoke fag afterfag as she talks. I've tried to explain we can still use FaceTime audio and not have to see each other but she never does.

Bringmewineandcake · 15/05/2017 00:21

Happyhippy are you me? Hmm
My inlaws FaceTime us, my own parents wouldn't touch it with a bargepole.
It makes me so uncomfortable! I lose the ability to make conversation. I don't think it's even being able to see myself - it's knowing they can see me. I've never face timed DH either.

alphajuliet123 · 15/05/2017 00:30

Absolutely loathe it. Ever since I stumbled into the kitchen a bit grumpy one morning to see mother-in-laws nostrils staring at me it has been disabled on all our devices.

I do get the point of it, and I occasionally relent when the grandparents haven't seen the kids for ages, but to me it's no better than some annoying twat shouting "coo-eeeee" through the letterbox.

MakeItStopNeville · 15/05/2017 00:34

I just look at the picture of the person I'm talking to. I find it weird when you're chatting to someone who is clearly looking at their own image instead of yours. Particularly when they start tossing their hair and you think, "Wtf?! It's not supposed to be a freakin mirror?!!" Grin

PippaFawcett · 15/05/2017 00:42

I hate it too! I find it so intrusive and weirdly hard to end a conversation. I don't think I can concentrate on what people are saying correctly cos I'm always wondering if all they are thinking about is how much weight I have put on Sad but that is mainly because we use it to FT family in other countries.

I also find it weird that I will suddenly be sharing my inner sanctum with people I haven't invited over if DH suddenly takes a FT from people and calls me over. I try to get him to pretend I'm out!

maras2 · 15/05/2017 03:37

Is this compulsory?
I have a phone that you can send and receive calls and txt's from.
Works for me.