To be frustrated by people who constantly seek validation on social media and disregard real-life interactions?

[LemonWasp]

I see many people who seek constant validation on social media and seem to neglect real-life relationships and interactions. AIBU to be frustrated by this and to feel that it’s affecting their ability to connect meaningfully with people in person?

Stop looking at their social media.

if the relationship is important to you then say something, and if it isn’t then its probably time to distance yourself

Well I know what you mean, but it is their choice to make. If someone in your life is ignoring you in favour of meaningless internet nonsense, you have the option to leave them to it and walk away.

I can see it would be heartbreaking to see a teen or young adult missing out on real life experiences in favour of online validation though.

This.

Why do you even care what they do on social media, how does it impact your life? Let them live their life how they want too.

If you're the person being ignored, it's within your gift to say "I'm not standing for this treatment, I'm off".

You may see accounts where you infer what their life is like, but you don't know why they do what they do. If you don't like what you see, then unfollow them or get off social media, you'll be happier.

It's got crazy hasn't it.

I know one woman thinks her daughters a little star. Poor thing she's two years old and everything she does is on social media.
Loads of people have daughters what's special about her. It's continous.
Some people need to get a grip.
Also someone else I know goes away and dosent just put a few snaps on, it's every day.
What they are eating, thinking, blow by blow account of the holiday.
Why?
They are expecting everyone else to read all this and like it, not only that people have got to devote time to what everyone else is up too and like that too.
In the meantime they've got to possibly post all their own stuff and get on with their lives and work too.
Whete does everyone find the time.
It's just people living their lives, none of it is majorly exciting or big news.

I posted a handful of instagram stories while on holiday recently (for 2 weeks) and I feel icky about it and like I wasn't living in the moment enough.

I honestly don't know how people can document their lives on social media on a daily basis.

For me it just takes away so much enjoyment from life. I want my life and the little joys I experience to be mine, not shared and projected to the world willy nilly.

But each to their own I guess.

Get off social media

And you came on here, a sort-of social media site, to ask random strangers to agree with you?

Totally agree . I have a friend who daily posts the most banal rubbish just for the ' likes' .

How does she think people have got time to read all that everyday and other friends as well?

Alot of autistic and adhd people do this as it's an easier formula of communication. Also people with social anxiety.
I personally find face to face contact quite stressful. Social media has massively improved my interpersonal relationships as I find it so much easier to keep in touch in this indirect way.
Before that I really struggled.
I've also met lots of friends who interact in this similar manner on social media, so do not judge or get pissed off at me.
My social life has massively improved due to social media.
Try not to judge people. Just because you don't personally find it of value and you feel a certain way about it, doesn't render it worthless or damaging universally.
Live and let live. People have a massive variety of different communication styles and needs. Yours aren't inherently superior to anyone else's. I think the world would be a better place if we all had a bit more compassion and understanding regarding other people's communication needs/ideas.
I think the instinct is to assume your own way of interacting socially is the 'normal' way and if others deviate from that they are missing out or doing something wrong etc
As an autistic person life has been very hard for me due to people making this assumption. I think things are improving now days.. for example my middle daughter is also ASD and at her school they do not force her to make eye contact like they used to do to me.
I spent alot of my childhood being forces to interact in ways o found extremely stressful because it was the 'normal' think to do and if I didn't do it I was deemed 'antisocial'
As a result it always irritates me when I see people say things about the way people behave on social media like 'it's shallow' 'it's replacing real life interactions which are more valuable' 'it's not real'
These are all massive value judgements based on your own personal communication style. You shouldn't just decide what's important or real or helpful, for all other people.
Basically if people feel comfortable communicating via social media, posting pictures of their breakfast or whatever they enjoy etc just bloody leave them alone to do that. You don't need to do it if it's not your thing.. but stop the nonsense judgement about how it's not the 'right' way to interact.
At best it sounds like you don't really have much self awareness or awareness of others and assume everyone is exactly like you.
And at worst it sounds like jealous or petty resentment that anyone else might enjoy things or find value in things you don't. Or even resentment that anyone is proud of themselves or has the confidence to share aspects of themselves you've had it drummed into yourself to keep private.

I think people can’t be living very exciting lives in reality if they have so much time on their hands posting on social media for likes.
Busy people don’t have so much time for doing stuff like that. People genuinely enjoying themselves would forget to put it on social media even if they intended to do it. It gives off over-protesting vibes to me.
Its like when you see a couple in a restaurant taking lots of smiling, perfectly posed photos and photos of their food and then they sit in silence ignoring each other and staring at their phones, no doubt waiting for the likes.
Its a false perception of the reality.
Some people are very sucked into it, there isn’t any hope for them!