Let's Talk About Facebook!

[YadaYadaYada]

It has become a daily ritual for many of us who have a profile on the great book of faces to check in or scroll through. I am curious though if you are on Facebook have you ever considered leaving? Were you on there and decided one day you had enough and never looked back? Or maybe you are someone who has never had a profile, was there a reason you stayed away?

Interested to see what your experience has been

 

[kenny]

Since you asked here's my experience:

I'm not on FB.
Years ago I was on FB for a few days, but visited only the private PS group.
I was revolted by PS vendors pushing their wares with impunity.
IIRC, I posted objections ... to no avail. ... so I left.

It was extremely difficult to do so, but I finally figured out how to delete my content and the account itself.
I haven't gone near FB since.

I don't feel like I'm missing anything.
No, I have no interest keeping in touch with the 29 other kids in my 1st grade class.

I don't get the appeal of FB.
I find it disgusting how Mark Suckerberg has absconded the term friend, 'verbing' it to make money manipulating people with guilt.
I find it revolting Suckerberg spys on your content ... AND YOU LET HIM BY AGREEING TO HIS TERMS!
Suckerberg has made himself one of the richest people in the world by marketing your private information to advertisers.

How many people have died checking FB on their stupidphone while driving?
I say good riddance Darwin got them, but how many innocents have been killed by other drivers Facebooking?

Can't imagine why anyone uses FB.
Clearly people vary.

 

[sonnyjane]

I think of leaving often to avoid the worldwide depression, but I use Facebook in several capacities for work, so I stay plugged in.

 

[jordyonbass]

I thought about it for a bit but I run pages and groups now so I am kinda tied to it. I generally stay away from a lot of arguments nowadays though and find it much more enjoyable

 

[GabrieleM]

Hi there,


FB is and was never working for me. I am active on Twitter, Linkedin and Xing work for me just fine.

 

[House Cat]

I walked away in July because of all of the election drama. I thought I would miss it. I didn't.

 

[the_mother_thing]

Can't imagine why anyone uses FB.

I don't disagree with the other things you commented about, but to address this statement ... I have family & close friends (who are like family to me, many from the military) all over the country & the world. We cannot talk or catch up on the phone or visit as often as we like because 'life'. I largely use it to keep in touch with them in between those calls and visits. We have watched our kids grow up by sharing photos, etc., celebrated successes (and some heartbreak),share recipes on occasion, etc. Basically, I largely use it how it was intended. I don't share anything crazy-personal on it, don't post about my jewelry, etc. except to follow a few designers.

People who use it as an alt-clique breeding ground for hate & gossip ... need help. I can't imagine being so 'negative' to willingly & intentionally want to dive into sewage and communally bathe in it online ... but as you say, people vary.

 

[missy]

I was reluctant to join a few years ago but the reason I was finally convinced by my friend was so she could easily share photos of her kids with me. It is a good tool for that. Sharing photos and experiences without having to send to each individual friend.

Facebook is what you make of it. Meaning if you want to use it for political reasons or causes then fine but you don't have to. I use it to keep up with friends and for me it works well. I ignore most of the political stuff and just enjoy the photos etc. Though I do follow some causes near and dear to my heart and that also works well for me.

Again, like any internet site, it is what you make the experience and not the other way around IMO. Take what you want from it and leave the rest. Or don't join. Up to you.

 

[Tekate]

It has become a daily ritual for many of us who have a profile on the great book of faces to check in or scroll through. I am curious though if you are on Facebook have you ever considered leaving? Were you on there and decided one day you had enough and never looked back? Or maybe you are someone who has never had a profile, was there a reason you stayed away?

Interested to see what your experience has been

Been on facebook for 10 years now, I love it because I have been able to reconnect with people from my past. I've been thrown off by 5 peoples accounts and blocked because I'm liberal. They weren't friends to begin with.

I do have a friend who shuts his down weekly and pops back on.. he's an attorney, was a defense attorney in Jersey for 25 years.. he has a very very very etc low opinion of cops.. of course he saw the dredges of society, probably in both his clients and cops.

There have been so many funny videos about King Cheeto and his royal court.. and about the snow storms.. I love the animal stories too.

 

[monarch64]

I use Facebook for nefarious purposes only. I enjoy stalking people, creeping, trolling, and do all of these while driving, just HOPING I'll cause a fatal accident. It really is such a dangerous medium.

Also it's where I find alllll the best memes, and it's my only source of news.

I have taken breaks after running into a few bad apples, sure. And after Zuckerberg called me at home once just to say "na-na, na-na boo boo, I've got all your info and I'm never giving it back!"

 

[missy]

I use Facebook for nefarious purposes only. I enjoy stalking people, creeping, trolling, and do all of these while driving, just HOPING I'll cause a fatal accident. It really is such a dangerous medium.

Also it's where I find alllll the best memes, and it's my only source of news.

I have taken breaks after running into a few bad apples, sure. And after Zuckerberg called me at home once just to say "na-na, na-na boo boo, I've got all your info and I'm never giving it back!"

I like your answer best Monnie so am revising my answer to what Monnie said.

 

[msop04]

Since you asked here's my experience:

I'm not on FB.
Years ago I was on FB for a few days, but visited only the private PS group.

WAIT... PS has a private FB page??!!

 

[msop04]

I use FB to communicate with family and friends... I love to look at my friends' photos and watch videos of cats.

 

[the_mother_thing]

I use Facebook for nefarious purposes only. I enjoy stalking people, creeping, trolling, and do all of these while driving, just HOPING I'll cause a fatal accident. It really is such a dangerous medium.

Also it's where I find alllll the best memes, and it's my only source of news.

I have taken breaks after running into a few bad apples, sure. And after Zuckerberg called me at home once just to say "na-na, na-na boo boo, I've got all your info and I'm never giving it back!"

You left out trolling Zuck's posts offering to give $10M to every FBer who forwards his comments.

 

[Matata]

My FB page is locked down as tight as can be with about 20 friends/family. I am a member of a couple of groups working on legislative issues. I've not yet felt the urge to leave as I find it easy to scroll past stuff in my feed that I don't like and I'm merciless unfriending those who cause drama.

 

[Arcadian]

I check facebook maybe twice a month. I don't have that much time in the day and really, it would cut into my time here

 

[lyra]

I have no personal facebook. I have a profile I use to read and participate in FB groups. All are closed groups. Honestly, I have nothing to share with the world, I'm boring. I have an instagram account with 5 pics of my dogs, if that. I have a smallish internet footprint and no one has my picture at all, nor my real name.

 

[momhappy]

I am on FB and for the most part, I enjoy it. I typically check it daily, but if I don't, that's fine too. I considered leaving it when I realized i was wading through a sea of political garbage, but then I learned to "unfollow" those who I found annoying and voila! happy times again

 

[asscherisme]

I don't like facebook. The only reason I have a page is so that I can keep an eye on my teenagers. My rule for them getting it was that they keep me as a friend. And I didn't let them get it until 16. I not an active user.

 

[vc10um]

My University was one of the first 20 to receive access to "The Facebook" back in the day. I resisted joining for about a year until the procrastination bug caught up with me during finals one semester and I said "what the heck"...

Back then, you had to have a ".edu" email address from only accepted domains to join. You could post ONE picture only. You actually put in your CLASS SCHEDULE and it would link you to your classmates. The status bar still said "Firstname Lastname is" and you had to fill it in after that.

I got hooked on it in its early days and use it as a means to basically keep in touch. I used to be huge on posting pictures, but I haven't really added much in the last 18 months or so. (That'll change after my upcoming vacation, I'm sure.) I probably won't ever shut my profile down, but I certainly don't use it as much as I used to!

I also use it to comment on products/restaurants, etc., as their social media teams are often highly responsive.

 

[redwood66]

I only have a very small 40ish or so friends on FB. I moved from my home state and use it to see how my closest people from HS are doing, share pics, etc. My HS was very small, 45 seniors, so I only check on a few that I've known since Kindergarten. My sister who lives in our home state shares pics etc. with me and me to her. I am a member of two closed groups, one for sparkles and one for the Navy. I post maybe 5 times a month and I do like it for recipes my friends share.

 

[Dancing Fire]

I am not a member of FB...

 

[Dancing Fire]

WAIT... PS has a private FB page??!!

Where have you been??... Do you know the secret password?...

 

[TooPatient]

I resisted until a couple of years ago. The whole idea still leaves me with mixed feelings. I don't like having personal information out there. My name is easy to do a quick search on. Comes up with my address, phone, etc. I have to be very careful with what I share. No comments about going somewhere (like excited for a concert or whatever) as that would say when I will be gone and my address is easy to get. No discussion of jewelry. No one IRL knows what I do or don't have and most believe everything to be fake so I just let them think that. Discussions of guns are kept non-committal and only on a private group locked down tight by a couple of cyber security guys (well, as tight as anything can be in FB).

That said...
It is great to keep up with friends who travel all the time, pictures as kids grow, etc. I also use it as a sort of last resort backup. If our computers were all trashed and anything went wrong with my cloud backup, at least I would have the pictures from FB. (Most of my pictures are cats and dogs!)
The local group was also helpful in reporting which roads were clear in the recent snow storm.

Oh! I also use it to keep up with a group of volunteers at a kill shelter in Louisiana so I can help match dogs to rescues around the country. I have saved 7 so far in the last 4 months plus paid vet bills for another 2 and transportation to a rescue for another 6. I also met a great foster who is taking care of one for me right now and I help her by ordering 300 pounds of food per week for her. (Not scams -- I met through a local friend who was there in person repeatedly and vouches for each)

 

[telephone89]

I love FB for keeping in touch with family and friends. One of my friends is in the US getting another masters, one is working in London and one is working in Korea. So I LOVE seeing all their pics and still being able to wish them a happy birthday, etc.

That said, I don't understand the people who have 1,000+ friends. You don't know them and it just seems pointless. Peoples lives depend on getting a certain number of 'likes' and its so sad to me.