What do you think of people who use SM if you don’t?

[JuniorTiger]

I was chatting to my friend earlier and we were talking about social media. She cannot understand why anyone would post personal information of any nature / pictures of either themselves or their children on a social media platform claiming that people only do this to reach a much wider audience and need attention. She said pics and personal information should just be for WhatsApp group chats.

She said it makes her cringe that people are so self important they actually believe their SM ‘friends’ are interested in the details of their life. She was then laughing at all the people who go to restaurants and take a picture of their food to post online.

She went on to say how fake it all is and sad that so many people must need attention and self validation, also naive that because people ‘like’ their posts they must be their ‘friend’.

she was then scoffing at the people who air their dirty laundry on FB and saying how pathetic it was and that it was like the guests on ‘Jeremy Kyle’.

I was a little taken aback but then thought maybe she does have a fair point? So I wondered if people who don’t use social media share this view?

Well we all use social media if we are on here but I agree with your friend about Facebook etc. Never used it and never will.

I don't want to see your dinner. Or anyone else's, for that matter. She had a point. What do you disagree with?

I don't use social media like Facebook and don't think as anything particular about those who do. Doesn't really cross my mind.

*anything particular not as anything particular

I agree about posting content updates all the time on everything you do. It's boring but they are addicted and everyone thinks they are so important don't they.

Don't agree with pots of pics of kids though. The child has not given their permission and I don't think it's very safe either.

I’m not sure I do disagree. She just didn’t mince her words and I wondered if others felt the same

There are some people I know where I could burgle their house because I know exactly where they are at any given time. It's a bit full-on. I'm not a burglar but it would be easy to know when they're out, which scares me.

I don't know why anyone would check in everywhere they go?

I think if you don't use it then you probably share those thoughts, or an approximation of them. I do. I feel going on here is totally different - anonymous which therefore takes away the whole showing off/ seeking validation aspect

Your friend is right but who even uses Facebook any more?

I feel differently to the other posters. I don’t post all the time, not even every week, but I do post and read other people’s. Everyone I have on SM are real friends in real life - some may be school or uni friends who I don’t see or stay in contact with, but I am still interest in their holidays/babies and like to see them happy etc.
Most of my colleagues are on SM, we all (mostly) follow each other. It’s actually handy in a big workplace to keep up with everyone eg “Oh I saw you tried that new restaurant, what did you think?”/“Where was that amazing looking hotel?” Type thing. Means I don’t have to personally text the 5 different people I discussed my weekend plans with, to tell them how it went. I’ll have asked for outfit advice for the wedding I’m attending, then they’ll see what I ended up wearing. Seems a very efficient way of sharing snippets of each other’s lives.

I don’t use SM but I think it is great for the people who do. I have a friend who is particularly into cooking a certain cuisine and she loves sharing it online and commenting on others recipes and successes. Another who does the same but with vintage cars.

Anything that builds communities and supports and connects people is good IMO.

It’s more insta than facebook, btw

She's entitled to her view fair enough. But what I find weirder are the people who go on but pretend they don't! I know people on Facebook who never post anything or comment and will claim they don't go on. But if you put a story up BOOM they are always the first to look. What's that all about?

Yes she did also mention how stupid it is to post pictures of children and how there are criminal gangs who actually spend all day studying social media profiles and put bits of information together to form a full picture of peoples lives and their routines. It all sounded a bit dramatic and like a film like ‘taken’ , but she’s a very informed individual who is high up in child protection so I don’t doubt her for a second. It scared me to be honest

I don’t use social media. Your friend was being an ass. I don’t have any particular feelings about adults who use social media. I feel sorry for teenagers now because I know how difficult it was to be a teenager without social media. The added pressure of social media must be awful.

Are you looking to write an article?

Facebook was actually great when it first came out. Just remember when we used it to catch up with old friends, picking your favorite cartoon character as a profile pic, planking, the ice bucket challenge? That one actually left to medical breakthroughs. It was a force for good.

Then came Cambridge Analytica.

DH says exactly the same as your friend (pretty much word for word). He just can't fathom it (and he's only 38 so grown up with it being a big thing).
Not me obviously! I use SM but I've stopped posting anything personal in the last couple of years, I just use FB for groups and events.

I feel exactly the same as your friend

I use information and support sites to get answers to specific questions I have. So not social media in the sense of forming or maintaining social connections such as Facebook. I agree with your friend. I'm not on things like Facebook because I don't care about anyone's life even to see what they think or do everyday and certainly wouldn't expect anyone to care about mine. The people I do care about update me personally on their lives when we catch up, speak or email, and vice versa, but it's a conversation between us, not a generic statement for their "fans" too.

Totally agree with your friend! In my opinion SM adds no value whatsoever to anyone’s life, it’s self-indulgent and superficial. Surely if your are living a life you can’t have time to post every minute of it. I have no SM apart from MN. I do have a 13yr old and it’s unbelievably scary how online his world is. The competitiveness that goes on. It could also be a generational thing for me i’m 35, gave up my IG and FB accounts years ago and don’t miss them at all looking back i can’t even believe i actually had SM accounts at all.

Agree with your friend. SM generally is a sinkhole of vanity and self-indulgence, no matter how people want to justify it.

I don't mind seeing people's meals, especially if it's from a restaurant because it might make me go there or discover new places.
Homemade stuff I'm happy to see and 'like' if it's something new for them. I share things I'm proud of.

Those who post every thought in their head or everything thats happened to them, or worse, if they straight up lie are muted/unfollowed/unfriended.

Not my place to complain about what they do on their page, but my choice to remove them from my feed.

Also, I love seeing my friends kids and families. I have friends all over the world and love seeing what they're up to, commenting on each others photos etc. It's nice to see.

I feel sorry for them, because for a lot of people it is part of their job and I would HATE that. I don’t really care or see what people post so I couldn’t care any less but I’m just glad it has nothing to do with my job and I can avoid it completely !!

Yes never understand the holiday photos as well while your away. Open advert to a burglar. Like I said they are addicted and can't stop.