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?

This pretty much sums up what i was going to say.

Well it isn't, people often use the term narcissism as a throwaway comment usually about something/ someone they don't like but most people are not narcissistic.

Personally I find it sad when I look at my friends' Instagrams (not a model, just regular people posting pictures of family stuff etc) and they've done so much editing they (and sometimes even worse, their family) become barely recognisable. It's not just mild filters either, but full on wrinkle-erasing, body-contouring, skin colour-changing photoshop work.

Think the whole obsession with Instagram has also contributed to people having an unrealistic outlook on life and people.

It's only going to get worse now that people are becoming increasingly isolated (it's almost cool even, in some circles, to be socially isolated and not leave the house) and have no contact with people outside of social media!

Not meaning to offend anyone and probably just my luck. Those I've seen via work/clients and relatives that post almost everything on SM are often of a type I avoid as much as possible. They are often loud-ish, live beyond their means, are artificial to an extent and not aware of the dangers that surround them when they offer too much info via sM and their gob.

I guess the above would say that I was boring, too strict, backwards, an introvert and cared too much what others say.

SM and mobile phones the smart one have resulted in may break-up that otherwise would never have occurred is my belief.

This is interesting- this is the sort of thing my friend says about how ignorant people are about cyber crime, but when she says this others roll their eyes and call her ‘dramatic’ and say she watches too much tv.
I am not sure whether this is a complete embellishment of reality or whether I’m a bit blissfully ignorant as well. Unless you work in the area of cyber crime I guess you wouldn’t really know if this was an accurate description or not?

Also something which makes me think twice is the use of meta data and how this information is used. Again something I’m not knowledgeable about but a lot of people do not seemed phased or concerned about this.

Holiday photos and excessive posting every time you go somewhere is ott

Is obsession with social media any worse/better than being obsessed with how other people live their lives? Why are you bothered how other people use SM? If it's not for you, fine, crack on but why project that onto others?

Trying to police others behaviours and say what people should or should not be doing on SM is seeking validation for your own choice for goodness sake, it is easy to see that.

Feedback from other humans is how we have organised ourselves for thousands of years and has created excellent systems to encourage human development (for example justice systems, health systems, social systems) the fact that in the last 20 years this has come from SM is just a new method of delivery for validation. We have been seeking and giving validation for thousands of years and there is nothing wrong with it. It is essential. Clapping and smiling at a child when they roll over, take their first step, say their first word is the start and we carry on wanting and giving that throughout life. SM is just another tool fir human interaction isn't it?

As if "forums" like MN aren't full of BS, too.

Not least because we can post anonymously.
<eye rolling>

My social media is part of my career ñ. I need to reach an audience to reach my targets.

So I think it's useful. I also get to see pics of my nephew and cousins children who I see maybe once a year otherwise.

I do find it odd that when some people are on holiday, they're constantly posting on SM about it. You're clearly not enjoying your holiday that much if you're constantly posting. I actually came off it for a week when I had my last holiday.

I agree with your friend. I also strongly dislike how people who work in my industry use social Jesus - it’s almost entirely pointless showing off.

Whoops! Social media, not social Jesus!

I cut down to a core four or five years ago. Facebook went, which was something of a relief. I post little on what I have now and often get timely information from what remains.

Many of my friends have done much the same (I was born in 1990). One however still says ‘On Facebook…’ to me as if I am deprived and another will say ‘…on Mumsnet’ a lot, while failing to register I am recognisable on here.

FB has beenn lifechanging for me. I've been to so many things that I wouldn't that I wouldn't have know anything about without it and received a lot of invitations too a casual "does anyone fancy" that I wouldn't have otherwise seen. Also direct invitations via FB messenger from people I wouldn't have necessarily swapped numbers with I.e an aquaintance through a hobby.

All my FB friends are people I genuinely know, but not necessarily close friends. TBH I don't see many of the gloating posts or people posting their food. I don't share those things myself either. Most of my feed is sports, politics, events and occasionally photos from social things.