To wonder about people who watch EVERY story but never like pictures

[Opal93]

And I KNOW it’s just social media it’s not real life and we aren’t supposed to care, but it’s something I’ve noticed and heard other people say about it too and just genuinely curious. Has anyone else experienced people who watch all your stories, never miss a single one, but yet never like your pictures? I’m not saying I care about like posts or anything but I do wonder why people follow me at all/ view stories if they are not interested in my stuff. I know a few people who have pages of their small businesses say the same thing. Am I BU to wonder what that’s about?

On Instagram I watch the stories of people I am close with but it automatically plays the next story - so if that person I'm not particularly close or interested in then I just tap to go past it but until you have watched/tapped through all parts of their story it will keep showing as 'unread' (even if you swipe to the next person's stories) & keep playing as the 'next' story later on.
So I prefer to tap through, which appears as a 'watch' rather than swipe which I imagine doesn't. Because this then makes those stories appear 'read' & they don't keep coming up when I watch new stories later on.
So it could just be that someone is not even watching them, just tapping through to get to a story of someone they want to see - which is what I do.
I would also only like/interact with posts of people I am close with & so peripheral friends would just see me appear to watch all their stories but never engage with their posts.
I think it's more likely due to the 'auto play' function on Instagram stories than people who don't know you well watching all your stories.
I am like pp & just don't like that they appear 'unread' so would click through them all anyway to get rid of the pink circles.
But if it bothers you then just make your profile private & remove people that you don't want to watch your stories? Or make an actual 'close friends' list so only those can see your stories.

I guess because they don’t feel any need to feedback on whether they liked the post or not? So they look at the stories, they look at the posts, and send no likes / comments to either. And why should they? I look at loads of posts without liking them.

This is part of why I dont like stories and wont click on them, because the poster knows who has viewed their story, and then questions why I haven't liked their story.
So when I accidentally view a story, because of sausage fingers, I feel obliged to like the story, and it feels wrong to like something out of obligation.

Why do people do these stories rather than just post? Is one of the attractions of stories that you know exactly which and how many people have seen it?

If you think about how you use social media are you actually paying avid attention to every story you watch?

Most people don’t, it’s just mindless scrolling or letting them run through without really watching them. Yet people seem to assume everyone that’s viewed their own story is doing so because they’re especially interested in their content? It’s just not true - you click one person’s stories and then end up sucked into a hole for a few minutes without really taking any of it in.

As for not liking posts, I just do the above and rarely scroll my feed anymore so fewer posts get liked.

veganmayo for a good percentage of the people that’s probably true. But I do have one or two long ago people who watch literally within mins of it being posted, every time. Could possibly just be that they spend a lot of time on social media in general but I know if I am invested enough on someone’s Instagram to watch their stories straight away, every time I do it on purpose and I certainly like their stuff and interact with them too

Could possibly just be that they spend a lot of time on social media in general
It most definitely will be this.

@watcherintherye

This may sound like a silly question, but what are ‘stories’ in the context of social media? I don’t do fb, instagram or anything similar. Are they just posts?

I'm glad you asked,

Watching stories is more passive. I rarely choose to watch someone’s stories but they come on automatically when I open the first story on insta. Stories feel more responsive/in the moment than grid posts, and grid posts have become very considered and permanent feeling. If you want people to see your grid posts you need to share them to a story to get that initial engagement.

I hate that people know if you’ve watched their story, so I never click on them, and only scroll past feed stuff instead.

But I basically never ‘like’ anything. Again, I don’t want what I’m doing on SM to come up on other people’s feed.

Most people just use SM to pass the time of day, not to validate other people and their posts.

What is the point of stories? I can understand putting photos on as it is then saved there and it comes up a year later so nice for memories. But from what I can tell, stories is just people filming 10 second extracts of their day? Why would anyone want to watch that? I can understand if they are famous or whatever people being interested but just regular people filming what they have had for their tea or whatever...

Also, how do you know who has watched your stories? I understand you can look, but why would you? Do you go on to check the list of who is viewing them? I think for some people who are insecure/anxious it must be a complete mindfuck!

I don't tend to look at posts as much anymore, so rarely like anything. I'd watch stories though, as it's easier to just sit and let them go on.

I only watch stories now. Never even look at photos

I use Insta only for gardening and wildlife photos. I skim through posts and stop and like the nicest ones. I never ever click on stories as I don’t follow personal friends and have no interested in wading through a load of videos on the chance of finding an interesting one.

I have just looked on Facebook and noticed the stories bit at the top. I've never really looked at it before or noticed it was there! It's all businesses, not people I know.

I can't bear videos to be honest so I just scroll my newsfeed and look at pictures.

Why do people do these stories rather than just post? Is one of the attractions of stories that you know exactly which and how many people have seen it?

Yep it's this. It's people who need validation that other people are interested in their SM and want people to actively "engage".

I will only ever view social media as anonymously as possible. Let's face it for huge numbers of people its primarily about having a nose/snoop, and it's socially unacceptable to be caught doing that. I miss the years around 2009/10/11 when people posted loads on facebook - holiday snaps and saying they'd got engaged, stuff about nice restaurants. It was the online equivalent of a visit home to mum where I'd get endless info on old school mates, e.g. "have you heard, rachel Clark is getting married! At that posh pemberton house over near Mosston. And I bumped into laura hopkins mum in tesco - Laura's brother tom is going to work over at GCHQ, isn't that interesting. Jenny Peters was telling me her chris is very into his gastropubs now and apparently that place down in Villageworth is excellent. Weren't you in the year below Chris at school?"

@Windbeneathmybingowings

Oh yeah. I’ve got a hardcore few exes who watch everything and never say a word. Then the lovely ones who are really supportive and send hearts to everything, they are my faves.

Why so desperate for attention?

YANBU

This makes me laugh.
I've got friends who NEVER ever comment or like any of my posts. but ALWAYS watch my stories. Makes me wonder if they don't realise that people can see who's viewed their stories 😆

My old housemate from uni does this - I haven’t had contact with her for years as she moved countries, but she watches every single one of my IG stories but has never posted on IG or likes or commented on any of my posts - even the big ones like birth announcements. I find it all a bit odd really.

I just click through all the stories to make them go away. It’s the same mentality as unread emails or other notifications on my phone. Doesn’t mean I am particularly interested or watching someone’s story specifically

You say you don’t care, but clearly you do. It’s a nice worry to have. But for the sake of your mental well-being, maybe try to consciously shrug off these thoughts. They’ll get you nowhere.

Meanwhile, back in the rest of the world… war in Europe imminent.

I don't have insta, but on Facebook I'd find it odd if people were trying to draw some sort of conclusion from the fact that I watch their stories but don't like their pictures. I look at their pictures too, even though I rarely engage with them. This is because I don't have a huge amount of choice in the matter - if I feel like scrolling through my feed, I will see everything that Facebook puts on there. That might include your story or pictures, but I haven't sought them out especially or anything. Maybe Instagram works a bit differently?

I do this. I’m just being nosy, no different to when I used to look at posts despite not chatting in ages. Tbh with instagram I see it as ‘not real’ which I know it’s not, but I mean I look at stories of famous people and those I follow in the same way as those I don’t talk to anymore.

If it didn’t tell you who was looking they’d still be all looking op.

@Twopenny

I don't have insta, but on Facebook I'd find it odd if people were trying to draw some sort of conclusion from the fact that I watch their stories but don't like their pictures. I look at their pictures too, even though I rarely engage with them. This is because I don't have a huge amount of choice in the matter - if I feel like scrolling through my feed, I will see everything that Facebook puts on there. That might include your story or pictures, but I haven't sought them out especially or anything. Maybe Instagram works a bit differently?

With Insta you have to click on it to look, but you’re right that they are at the top of the page. But if you’ve already clicked onto one story often it just runs through.

But what if you don’t actually like their post - if they are a family member or old friend and the post is neutral, grating or tedious - do you fake “like” to be polite?

Or even if you do like what they have said but don’t want a presence on SM so choose just to watch but not interact - is that acceptable?

It’s a bit like being out in a huge group in a pub someone says something - some people might continue the dialogue verbally others might appreciate (or even not) the initial comment but be fine to just take it in and nod but not be actively verbal.

I am interested in why you have so many ex friends - and why if you want to rebuild these relationships don’t you just talk to them, DM them etc? Seems a bit of an odd power dynamic to expect people to effectively blow smile up your arse !

*smoke!!!