Facebook madness?

R

Rose65

Well-known Member
Location
United Kingdom
I know people whose every moment is recorded on Facebook. One woman, whose small children are so trained, they smile and pause on cue constantly. Another has just married and I kid you not, every single aspect is recorded on photos and videos - pre-wedding preps, event itself, and endless reams of pics of the honeymoon hotel in an exotic far off island. Others seem to travel and dine in style virtually continually. Still others have ordinary lives but present them as somehow extraordinary. Usually these people have hundreds even thousands of 'friends'.

The question is - why? Is it a collective madness?

I used to do some of this, on a modest level, but I got fed up of having to stop and take pics and write something remotely witty. It distracted from actually living and experiencing life. So now I rarely post anything. I assume I am really not very interesting and I feel no need to impress anyone.
I must say, I am relieved to just be quite a private person who enjoys the company of close friends without the urge to photograph myself doing so! For an invisible audience of 'friends'.
 

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some people I know have been complaining that their accounts have been hacked and if anyone has put personal information that should be confidential then change it /cancel it / get rid of it?
 
I got into Fakebook in order to make connections with other people who share my interest in plants and making a garden. It has worked well for that. I don’t record everything in my life but I have branched out to sharing pictures which I have always enjoyed taking on walks and at art exhibits, including those featuring my wife’s work. That hasn’t served any particular purpose the way my initial reason for joining did but is more like an outlet for those activities and many of my gardening friends do the same. Many of them are into for the sake of identifying the plants they see or the birds and other wildlife. That I do enjoy seeing. I imagine if I ever become less mobile I might enjoy seeing these sights through other’s lens even more. Oh and there is a good deal of family I have no contact with or knowledge of beyond what I occasionally see there. Those I like I follow, those I don’t I mute.
 
I had a Facebook account, but was amazed at the trivialities, angst, drama, and overly-revealing content posted by many users. There are hackers and scammers who frequent Facebook, looking for marks who expose vulnerabilities to exploit. Posting too much info gives them ways to impersonate or con you. People tried to sign into my account. When I repeatedly got messages in Polish, a language I cannot read or speak, that was it for me. I closed my account, and sure don’t miss it. Facebook is not risk-free…
 
I post on there every day. I talk to my friends and family daily. I post pictures and share my day with my friends. I don't see anything wrong with it if you enjoy it. If you don't like it don't go to it. I think this is the second post here complaining about it recently.
 
One of the problems with Facebook and other social media sites is that people share way too much information which can lead to identity, financial and physical theft. Cybercrimians scan social media sites and harvest information building a detailed profile on people that is used for malicious purposes. Would you open your home and invite people in to view your filing cabinet, family pictures, personal details about yourself? Most of us would not but we think nothing of letting the world know where we work, where we live, where we vacation, our full name, birthday, daily schedule, pictures and details about our children before they are old enough to decide for themselves if they want to share their life with the world. I have worked in IT for years and have seen horror stories related to identity theft and other problems because people just share too much. The quizzes and games on social media are often put there by scammers to get you to answer personal questions about yourself and your family and then then use that to hack into your accounts and steal your identity. It is best to keep your private information private.

Why You Should Never Take Facebook Quizzes & Surveys – The Tech Minimalist (wordpress.com)
Why You Should Not Post Children’s Pictures and Private Information On Social Media – The Tech Minimalist (wordpress.com)
 
I cancelled my Facebook account about 10 years ago. There were starting to be privacy concerns at that time. It was fun to locate and catch up with old friends, people from high school, etc. but it was not something I chose to continue doing.
 
I never was that thrilled with F.B. I could live without finding out that Snookies, their dog had grand puppies. Or that J. Smith, whom I never known, is my friend. Somehow, I got the feeling that F.B. "friends" were second class friends. If I had something to tell the people closest to me, I'd verbally tell them, face to face or by phone. But if they have to read it on a web site, that drops your level of friendship down a notch.
 
Capt Lightning said:
I had a Facebook account for a short time, but I soon became tired of people thinking that I cared a jot about what they were doing. I posted a fairly terse note indicating that I wasn't interested in them or their lives and cancelled my account. I haven't used Facebook or any other 'social media' sites since then.
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Very brave and you have saved yourself a lot of time.
 
DebraMae said:
I cancelled my Facebook account about 10 years ago. There were starting to be privacy concerns at that time. It was fun to locate and catch up with old friends, people from high school, etc. but it was not something I chose to continue .
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Alligatorob said:
Not for me, I look at my account once a year or so. Even posted something a couple of years back. Maybe I just don't get it...
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You are wise. I have kept it but rarely post.
 
Sassycakes said:
I joined FB years ago to keep an eye on my grandsons. They were young and I worried about them. They are grown up now and too busy to be on FB but I still check in often. I have benefited by getting to meet cousins I didn't know I had . I enjoy FB.
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There is certainly good use for it, for sensible people.
 
I originally joined FB to look for old acquaintances, which I did find. We email, rather than message on FB.
Rarely do I check into FB these days.
 
I've never enjoyed taking photos, or having my photo taken. So that part doesn't appeal.

As for sharing one's boring life ... That's one of the reasons I keep my phone ringer turned off. I got tired of hearing what people were eating and what the dog had in his fur.

Years ago, someone told me she "loathed" Facebook. I figured she had a reason, so I never joined. It bothers me that some community information is available only on FB, but I manage.
 
Sounds like a platform for exhibitionists. I have an account but am not interested in connecting. Blah too much and I can't care that much.
 
Judycat said:
Sounds like a platform for exhibitionists. I have an account but am not interested in connecting. Blah too much and I can't care that much.
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Much of it is just that, people who need attention. No one cares about your "current situation" or what you had for dinner. :)
 
Never had any desire to join Facebook and never did. I once had a friend who I discovered, posted pictures of me and my family on it without my consent.
 
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