To Facebook or Not to Facebook, that is the question

So recently I am discovering that Facebook is simply a time filler. I get almost no use out of the site. I am here on the nexus and on LinkedIn. I can also join any of the myriad dating sites if I would like to find a "suitable mate". Exactly what purpose does Facebook serve? I suppose it keeps me in touch with childhood friends most of whom have not left the hometown and with whom I have little in common. Is it "wrong" to delete or "inactivate" my membership? There is a nostalgic part of me that wants to maintain my membership but another part that says why bother. What do you think?

Tags: Facebook, In, Linked, LinkedIn, childhood, date, dating, friends, youth

Views: 356

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Tom M. on August 6, 2011 at 1:38am
You can hide people?  I had no idea.  That makes me laugh a bit though because it's like I am friends with you but I am going to hide your posts and messages because I don't like what you say/post.  Interesting.  I will have to try it.
Permalink Reply by mojo5501 on September 6, 2011 at 7:44pm
Hide the pests, keep the rests. :)
Permalink Reply by Pat on August 6, 2011 at 7:39am
Had a FB account about a year ago out of curiosity, and discontinued/cancelled after a few months.  I found it to be a monumental waste of time.  About the only thing I use it for is in my law practice to impeach the hell of opposing clients with the moronic crap the put on it - especially in divorce cases where their boy/girl friend puts up messages to their soon to be single, and broke, paramour.
Permalink Reply by mojo5501 on September 6, 2011 at 7:52pm

Niiiice. 

 

There is a lot of crap on Facebook, no doubt about it.  I just visit it once a day for a quick browse.  I don't do any of the games or surveys or countless other applications.  There are usually funny photos that get posted or silly things people I know like to 'share'.  Like: Do we really need a Lysol product scented like Lavender?  Wouldn't the scent put you to sleep before you finish the kitchen floor?  (silly stuff like that)  Also my Facebook friends often share interesting news articles.  (I think it's dangerous to complain about work, however...and I am always amazed that some people don't see the danger in THAT.  Like the nitwits you mentioned...IT'S PUBLIC INFORMATION!)

Permalink Reply by Patrick Niblock on August 6, 2011 at 8:13am
Its actually usefull for me. I have mostly real life friends on it and I block all the apps and games so i don't see them. I use it to see whats going on in the city and what people are up too. Its great for coordinating events.
Permalink Reply by booklover on August 6, 2011 at 8:29am
I got on FB as another way to keep in touch with my daughter when she's away @ college.  Also my sister who lives in another state.  I also into getting free-samples online, and now you need an FB page to get a lot of them.  Other than these things FB is causing me stress.  I think I am going to take Eugenes advice and hide some people, lol.  And no Tom it is not wrong to de-activate or delete your account.  It is your life and you don't have to be on FB if you don't want to! ~ melinda
Permalink Reply by Hollyn on August 6, 2011 at 9:18pm

You should find some news sites that interest you and "like" them. I found that once I started seeing interesting and funny articles in my news feed, I was more interested in facebook. If you like to geek out, Laughing Squid is an awesome site to follow. The Oatmeal is hilarious for snarky grammar comics. I follow Jon Stewart for updates, I've got a bunch of science sites followed. It really does make it a more interesting place. I don't know what you're into, but you should search random stuff and see what comes up. If you have any favorite websites you should see if they have a facebook page.

I find that the more involved you are with someone on a personal level, the faster things are going to go badly. I generally only add people I have direct contact with, or because of guilt. If my annoying aunt adds me as a friend, I'm going to feel obligated to friend her. Even if that means I'm just going to "hide" her the next day. She will probably end up hiding me too, because if I don't like her bullshit, she's not going to like mine.

 

Personally, I have no interest in my childhood friends. I'm content allowing people from my past to stay there. I feel that if I need to be in contact with a person, I won't need a social networking site to bring us together. I also don't use it to advertise what is going on in my personal life. I feel like the people who need to know those details will know those details without having to enter a username and password. I generally share news articles I find interesting, comics or pictures. I don't feel bad about declining someone's friend request because... it's just facebook. :)

 

So my recommendation to make facebook less annoying is to find and follow sites that interest YOU and forget about the other people on your friends list. It's your page, so you should enjoy your experience. I have very little tolerance for crappy posts so I've customized my page to really suit MY interests; the people who bother me no longer appear, so I'm don't feel like anger is just waiting for me. If someone is a habitual crappy-poster they're probably not going to change. You can always visit their page directly if you're curious as to what they're saying.

 

Get familiar with the "hide" options, it will become your best friend and fail-safe. Good luck and thanks for letting me ramble, sorry about any typos - it's been a long day.

Permalink Reply by mojo5501 on September 6, 2011 at 7:56pm
I liked what you said...not a ramble at all....I feel much less guilty about 'hiding' an aunt and an old best friend from middle school, now that you've admitted you've done it.....THANKS!
Permalink Reply by damian on August 6, 2011 at 10:29pm
i say "why bother". This is just my opinion. I never joined facebook, and don't have the urge to. I just keep a tight circle of people who i relate to. I can't say what's right for you. There are good suggestions above.
Permalink Reply by Xanthe Wyse on September 2, 2011 at 10:11pm

I use it to promote my blogs. I write under a pen-name, so recently set up a FB account under that name.  I link to my blogs and also share posts etc from others.  Is a way to read interesting posts from others too.  Most of these people I've never met. 

 

I don't use the one under my real name much.  It has a bunch of people from my past like happy clappy christians & people from school I barely remember.  I have a note on there if anyone wants to read my blogs about losing my faith in god, then contact me.  Only the non-judgemental christians did so.  

 

I was reluctant to join facebook, as thought I wouldn't have friends (I'm not a very social person).  There are some friends I lost contact with long ago but most are acquaintances and relatives I hardly know.

Permalink Reply by Secular Forces 2013 on August 7, 2011 at 4:58am
gouge away
Permalink Reply by Atheist Andrea on August 7, 2011 at 9:38am
I also have a love/ hate relationship as was just stated. Part of my personality is to comment on the positive aspects of someone's life. It drives me crazy to always feel the need to give compliments but I can't help myself. There is something that nags me each day like, "What if someone posted a sweet pic of their baby and I don't comment on it?" or "This person seems to be depressed today and might be reaching out for a bit of happiness that someone is paying attention to them?" I guess I am the one with illness, huh?

I was just telling my husband that if he isn't gonna keep up maintaining his page then he should delete it.He could hurt people's feelings by not accepting them as friends because he has no interest logging in to see these requests.

I guess it is safe to say thatfb can be more trouble than it is worth but since I am a young mom that is mostly park or home-bound, this is how I stay connected with friends. I hate talking on the phone!

RSS

© 2013   Atheist Nexus. All rights reserved. Admin: Richard Haynes.

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service