# Facebook Reels **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 5, 2025, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-reels/1012576 "2025-01-05T04:48:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2025, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-reels/1012576/1 "2025-01-05T04:48:20Z")
For a long time, I never saw them. First I dutifully marked that I didn’t want to see those types of things, and Facebook briefly complied. Then the things started up again no matter what I marked, so I got the F.B. Purity extension, which made them go away again. Now that is not working (for me anyway, possibly due to my use of the Opera browser) so I get two sets of Reels offered to me every time I look at Facebook. I’m not asking for technical help here. I just wonder about these things. Every single thumbnail for a Reel that I have seen screams at me to stay away, either because it is obviously fake video, or it is so glurgy it would make me puke, or for other characteristics that I don’t want to remember. Lately, the first one on the left is always some giant snake that is about to eat a panther in a tree or something. In other words, it all seems like clickbait. I know lots of people fall for clickbait and seem to love it, especially if it involves kittens. I’m mildly curious why Facebook pushes it so hard. But mostly I just want it to go away. I only use Facebook to follow a few friends and a few other FB groups, I don’t need that shit. Any fans of Reels here? Am I being unfair? ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2025, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-reels/1012576/2 "2025-01-05T06:18:51Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > In other words, it all seems like clickbait. I think “scrollbait” would be a better term. I would assume you’re not a big TikTok user either (or any other similar app where you scroll through a long list of autoplaying short videos on your phone)? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2025, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-reels/1012576/3 "2025-01-05T06:27:40Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > I think “scrollbait” would be a better term. Agreed. My wife can spend an hour scrolling through Reels; given what the Meta algorithm knows about her, it gives her a lot of Reels about cats and other animals. Mindless entertainment. > [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > I’m mildly curious why Facebook pushes it so hard. Reels are, absolutely, Meta’s attempt to create their own version of TikTok. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2025, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-reels/1012576/4 "2025-01-05T06:42:35Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > either because it is obviously fake video Any account which posts an obviously AI-generated reel gets a block from me so I don’t have to see anything from that account again. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2025, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-reels/1012576/5 "2025-01-05T07:23:17Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > My wife can spend an hour scrolling through Reels; given what the Meta algorithm knows about her, it gives her a lot of Reels about cats and other animals. Mindless entertainment. Same here. It’s kinda like channel-surfing, except, if you do it for a while it learns your preferences so instead of changing channels away from crap you don’t like, you’re clicking through shows you kinda enjoy. ---
**Author:** ![Biffster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biffster/32/339_2.png) [@Biffster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffster)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2025, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-reels/1012576/6 "2025-01-05T08:53:53Z")
I don’t mind it now as much as I did at first, because I see more things I’m interested in now. But they overdo it. Lately it’s all been Squid Game or Veronica. ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2025, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-reels/1012576/7 "2025-01-05T13:45:19Z")
I mostly see clips of comedians or interviews of celebrities I enjoy watching. I never get cat or kid vids which suits me. I’ll watch them for 10-15 minutes, walk away, and then watch some more later. It’s free mindless entertainment, with a few ads thrown in that you can easily skip through. I don’t ever use TikTok, but I do sometimes watch YouTube shorts. My grandson can spend hours watching YouTube shorts, which is better than him risking his life jumping his bike over whatever happens to be outside at the time. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2025, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-reels/1012576/8 "2025-01-05T13:59:35Z")
I get a lot of quick little magic tricks, usually with a reveal as to how it was performed. I don’t mind, I often find them interesting. Although I could do without the fake, exaggerated reactions. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2025, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-reels/1012576/9 "2025-01-05T14:25:16Z")
I never click them. The previews are always something hinting at pretty girls and NSFW content that I’m smart enough to know Facebook Reels is not going to deliver on. A comely young lass halfway into pulling her shirt off or similar. You could make some obvious algorithm jokes here but if you spend a bajillion dollars on an algorithm to find out “Heterosexual dudes often like pretty girls” then you shouldn’t be trusted with the checkbook in the future. I assume it’s more of a low-hanging fruit thing than an insightful digital look into my psyche. ---
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2025, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-reels/1012576/10 "2025-01-05T14:26:42Z")
Never even heard of them. Of course I rarely go on Facebook. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2025, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-reels/1012576/11 "2025-01-05T14:35:34Z")
Youtube seems to have gotten on the trend also with what they call “shorts”. ---
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2025, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-reels/1012576/12 "2025-01-05T14:54:27Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > Youtube seems to have gotten on the trend also with what they call “shorts”. Oh I think I understand now. I have seen those _shorts_ and always decline to watch them. They still keep popping up from time to time. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2025, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-reels/1012576/13 "2025-01-05T15:11:50Z")
I don’t watch youtube shorts, however, if someone links to one that I ‘need’ to watch, the trick is to replace the word ‘shorts’ with ‘video’ in the URL. Then youtube will treat it like a regular video, so you at least get some of your controls back. I’m not, for example, going to watch a video if I can’t at least see how long it is and/or skip around. Also, @OP, FB Purity is no longer blocking the Reels for me as well. Though I don’t know if it ever did since I don’t see the option to block them. I think they were always there, but now, at least for me, the first one is always auto-playing so I’m noticing it more. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2025, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-reels/1012576/14 "2025-01-05T16:29:46Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > FB Purity is no longer blocking the Reels for me as well. Though I don’t know if it ever did since I don’t see the option to block them. In the left column is a heading for Video Posts, and if you click on that you get a menu of types of video posts you want to block, including Reels. I still have that clicked, but to no apparent effect. I searched on the FB Purity website and the last mention of Reels in their documentation was from 2022, when a new version was launched. I keep hoping that they will conquer this beast again. Facebook will always win, of course, they have tons of money to throw at it and if I don’t want to see these thumbnails I will have to give up using Facebook. This is something I have been giving serious thought to. ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2025, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-reels/1012576/15 "2025-01-05T17:19:23Z")
I started getting Reels showing up in my feed a few months ago. Mine are mostly scantily clad females showing off their rear ends. I have no idea how Facebook decided that this is the sort of thing I would be interested in. I’ve tried clicking on Hide but it hasn’t done anything to stem the flood. My feed has also been flooded with posts from groups I have never expressed any interest in. The archeology and ancient Egypt one have slowed down, but I’m still getting other history ones, as well as art and cartoons. I’ve tried Hide and Stop showing to little effect. I’m rapidly reaching the point of not going on Facebook, except that it’s still my only contact with friends and family. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2025, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-reels/1012576/16 "2025-01-05T17:25:32Z")
> [@LurkMeister](#): > > I’m rapidly reaching the point of not going on Facebook, except that it’s still my only contact with friends and family. FB has become increasingly difficult to use for that purpose – they are far more interested now in showing you paid content that they think you’ll interact with, based on their algorithms. For most people, their “feed” now is a few posts from friends or family, interspersed with tons of ads and “groups” that you aren’t a member of. ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2025, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-reels/1012576/17 "2025-01-05T17:29:24Z")
Exactly. I think I’m going to wear out the scroll wheel on my mouse going past all the crap I’m not interested in so I can read my friends’ posts. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2025, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-reels/1012576/18 "2025-01-05T17:48:02Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > Any fans of Reels here? Am I being unfair? How else am I going to get my fill of sloth, capybara and Cavalier King Charles spaniel videos? ---
**Author:** ![ASanders](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asanders/32/3367_2.png) [@ASanders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASanders)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2025, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-reels/1012576/19 "2025-01-05T19:32:19Z")
I enjoy them as mindless pre-sleep fodder, as it has learned I enjoy the crochet stitch tutorials and candymaking vids. But I have searched in vain for a language filter, since it does me no good to look for info about whatever I’m watching only to find it’s all in Czech or Urdu or Mandarin. But overall I agree that the trend toward short video is making social platforms useless as a way to stay connected with other people. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2025, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-reels/1012576/20 "2025-01-05T20:01:19Z")
> [@LurkMeister](#): > > Exactly. I think I’m going to wear out the scroll wheel on my mouse going past all the crap I’m not interested in so I can read my friends’ posts. I think FB Purity is still pretty effective at removing the non-video crap posts. At least I never see them. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-reels/1012576.md?page=2)