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AIBU?

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Original poster

To not understand people who post on social media everyday

78 replies

SalemShadow · 17/10/2019 21:23

I don't understand why people post photos esp of their kids on social media everyday. Makes me wonder if they are a bit lonely. Don't know if aibu?

OP posts:
underground76 · 18/10/2019 09:31

I don't understand why people are so invested in what other people choose to do with their own social media accounts, so much so that they feel the need to post on a forum full of strangers about it. Perhaps you could enlighten me.

Why shouldn't people communicate with their family and friends through social media if they want to? I strongly doubt most people who post every day are lonely, but if they are, surely that means social media is a nice, helpful thing for them and you should be pleased they have it as a way to connect with people? If you don't like to see their posts, don't follow them.

from123toabc · 18/10/2019 11:20

This is a form of social media and here you are posting on it OP...does that make you a hypocrite?

Ihateedmundelephant · 18/10/2019 11:26

I don’t do it, but I don’t see what’s so difficult to understand about it. People adore their children and want to share their moments with family and friends. It’s really not at all difficult to understand. I don’t think it has anything to do with loneliness.

notacooldad · 18/10/2019 11:46

Ive already posted on this thread but have been thinking about it some more.
I love fb, Twitter, insta and Snapchat.
I tend to use fb the most for personal and social interactions ( friends and family, groups such as travelling, favourite bands, radio station pages etc) and twitter for current affairs.
I like fb the most as I chat to a couple of my friends who are severely disabled and are housebound most of he time. I have short interactions with old colleagues that I have reconnected with. I wouldn't have the time in real life to maintain a friendship but it's good to keep in touch and have a laugh.

I have work colleagues on and it's great getting on with them away from work situations. My relatives live in NZ, OZ and America. I love that all of us can chat and comment and make plans on one thread.
When used correctly SM has a lot to offer.

I do get annoyed when people 'vague book' with comments like 'pissed off' and everyone piles in with the 'you ok Hun?' And the poster says that they'll DM someone. They get deleted and blocked from me! No second chances!

AintNobodyHereButUsChickens · 18/10/2019 11:48

I know someone whose Facebook page is literally a running commentary of her thoughts. Really mundane shit like "Thinking about whether to have a nice cuppa of tea or not." (And yes she does put 'cuppa of tea'...) or a photo of her husband on holiday with a beer in his hand "X enjoying a beer (we both rarely drink but treated ourselves to 4 cans/bottles for holiday!)", she'll post how many christmas/birthday presents she's bought so far Confused

MayTheLordOpen · 18/10/2019 11:58

If I thought someone on my friends was posting because they might be lonely, I'd message them rather than posting on Mumsnet

MayTheLordOpen · 18/10/2019 12:00

@LaurieFairyCake You didn't ask her permission?! Shock

Kachieble1 · 18/10/2019 12:01

I don’t understand it either especially with children.
A photo here and there-ok.
Every day and basically documenting their whole child’s lives on social media- not so much.
I would of hated to grow up and find my mom had posted all
My baby photos on line for everyone to see. So I’m glad I didn’t grow up in that generation (early 90s kid here)
I have a friend who posted her baby had shit all
Through his nappy, clothes and onto the floor. Think it’s humiliating for the child and down right strange for her to post.
I know I won’t be doing it with my own one day.

LittleLongDog · 18/10/2019 12:27

@LaurieFairyCake same Grin

Pinkblueberry · 18/10/2019 13:25

A photo here and there-ok.
Every day and basically documenting their whole child’s lives on social media- not so much.

I agree. It’s nice to see the odd photo or a post about a nice family day out or whatever but some people are literally writing the story of their children’s lives on their Facebook page, down to potty training details, illnesses, doctors appointments, school reports, literally everything they do everyday. And these parents have hundreds of ‘friends’ which are probably mostly made up of old school peers who they haven’t spoken to in years/ never even really spoke to at school or even random people they met on holiday/ night out and wouldn’t say hi to or recognise if they saw them in the street (that’s what a considerable chunk of my ‘friends’ list is made of). I would just find it odd to be informing all these strangers about everything in my child’s life - and as I said in a previous post I unfollow people for this because I added/accepted the parents as ‘friends’ not their children Confused people say it’s for family - but our family live far away too, we have a WhatsApp group for regular everyday photos and stuff.

Babybel90 · 18/10/2019 20:51

I probably post a couple of photos a week, for a variety of reasons:

A. My family and friends live far away so don’t get to see me or DD often
B. I like to remember where I’ve been and when
C. If I post the photos on social media I don’t have to store them on my phone and I can retrieve them if my phone was ever lost/damaged

Original poster
SalemShadow · 18/10/2019 21:21

Yeah. I wasn't sneering. I have a couple of friends who uploads about 10 pictures a day of their little ones everyday and put their whole life on there. I feel sorry for the kids growing up on Facebook. Just recently we have had a cousin go to prison for being a paedophile and an ex colleague. They had access to all the baby pics. Just makes me think its a bit dangerous and they are lonely or desperate for likes.

OP posts:
Sparklywolf · 18/10/2019 21:55

I post on fb most days. I care for my Father and it's quite isolating meaning fb is my main contact with friends. I also want to normalise his dementia, spread information that a good life is still possible and it's more than forgetting stuff.

StillCoughingandLaughing · 18/10/2019 23:54

Just recently we have had a cousin go to prison for being a paedophile and an ex colleague. They had access to all the baby pics.

And you think he couldn’t Google baby pics? Maybe you need to associate with nicer people.

Kachieble1 · 19/10/2019 00:37

@Pinkblueberry I can understand most people just want to show their bundle of joy off but tbh and I’m speaking for myself here, I don’t give a fuck!
I feel so sorry for the kids.
So glad my baby and childhood photos are in albums not the internet! Same will go for my future children.
Think a lot of the gender reveals/pregnancy announcements are done just for show.

Aunaturalmama · 19/10/2019 00:56

The only reason I made social media was to show pictures of my children to my family and friends that live across country and in the states and just all far away. I no longer have social media and alllll my friends and family wishes I still had one as they miss our updates.
For me it was more of an obligation to my family.

But hey if it bothers you that others like connection to friends and family- maybe you shouldn’t be friends? Or just mute their feed and get on with your life? Lol

Aunaturalmama · 19/10/2019 01:05

How selfish of everybody here saying they don’t want to see pictures of others kids when they can surely just look away?

Cactusmum · 19/10/2019 02:49

I dont share pics every day but I have lots of
in law relatives overseas and its the easiest way for me to show them the kids and hubby and whats going on in our every day life.

wheresmymojo · 19/10/2019 03:22

So no DC yet but I suspect I might be one of those people when the time comes.

Why?

  1. If no-one posts anything and just snarks from the sidelines it isn't social media. It's just a blank timeline. Sharing what you're up to is the entire point of social media
  1. My parents live 200 miles away and will want to feel a part of watching their grandchild growing up
  1. If people don't like it I know they can mute or unfriend me
ThriftyMcThrifty · 19/10/2019 06:32

It’s just a hobby, like writing a diary. I could never keep up with my diary and similarly crap at updating social media.

Igotthemheavyboobs · 19/10/2019 07:04

Yanbu to not do this yourself, hell I haven't posted a pic to fb in several years!

Yabu not to understand the different people do things differently to you.

Girasole02 · 19/10/2019 07:11

I have it to keep in touch with family and friends scattered over the World. My hobby has a FB page. I rarely post anything personal but do like to post pics if I go somewhere interesting to look back on. It's very much for me, not others.

madcatladyforever · 19/10/2019 07:17

I'm 57 and go on social media everyday. I think it's wonderful. I have around 200 friends and family I know intimately who live around the world and it's a great medium for finding out how they are and what they are doing.
I don't have any friends on my Facebook that I don't know really well and all the privacy settings are on.
It's lovely to see pictures of my friends when I can't always be with them andirectly see what they are up to.
I can also track my sisters business on insta gram. I love social media.

imdoingfine · 19/10/2019 07:21

I post often; I'm definitely not lonely

Lobsterquadrille2 · 19/10/2019 07:34

I work long and sometimes unsociable hours; I like seeing what other people are doing. As PPs have said, I have many friends overseas and have only seen their children's photographs (and not actually met them). If anyone is a posting irritant (to me, that is), unfollowing them is a simple click away.

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