I don’t have a lot of original thoughts on FB to offer. The stuff that bugs me is what bugs everyone, but things have gradually been getting worse over the time, and I think at last it has gone below critical mass in terms of what it can offer me, and I barely check it any more. I’m not going to delete my account; it’s still useful as a repository of contact information, but I find my enthusiasm to go there and post to be about zero.
Unoriginal reasons:
Posting something gets very little interaction unless it is a pet or child photo, the only thing that people seem to care about. No conversations get started, so it’s pointless to post.
If I don’t change the setting for a friend to “see first,” then I never see their stuff at all. If I make such a change for a friend who posts too much, then that is all I will see. The problem is that some friends do post good things but they post all day long (sometimes literally–I have a friend who’s quite sick for whom FB is his life). This is a curse of social media and not really FB’s fault. It’s one reason why I haven’t done Twitter in years.
The messaging function (laptop) and app (phone) is one reason why I was on FB a lot. But now I use Whatsapp (also owned by FB) in a very curated way and just talk to my close friends.
FB is overstuffed with all kinds of shit nobody needs and doesn’t work well. And I say that as someone who blocks ads on the desktop version. Event invites are “friends” just spamming you with their petty business shit; it is simply impossible to separate out that from things that you might actually want to do. If you join a group, then you get those notifications in your face all day long. Too busy, too much to sort out. Overstimulating and useless at the same time.
I think 2018 will be remembered as the year FB peaked. I’m not going to post a lot on all of the incompetence in running the platform, the horrific political consequences of the algorithm in the 2016 election, and Zuck constantly stepping on his own dick these days. But it’s depressing and does nothing for my enthusiasm for the site. Young people are apparently leaving the site in droves, and I think the time is ripe for a competitor to come along and do a better job. FB is not invulnerable any more.
Let’s all hope it’s over. I’ve never Facebooked, no one can give me a good reason to do so, and I do hear from Facebookers that the bloom is off the rose. I think users have realized they’ve been taken for their information and an open book into their lives is not a good thing. Or not, I am amazed at how any people just love the game like quality of the medium and don’t really care about any problems it may cause, and I guess it is not irrational since the vast majorities won’t be affected by scams and data mining.
You are really unable to discern which of the invitations is actually for a party? Getting party invitations is really the only reason to have Facebook.
I was on Facebook for a few years, and it made me realize how despicible were the beliefs of many of my friends, family and coworkers. Getting off of it was a genuine relief. It was funny because when you “delete” your account they give you something like 2 weeks to log back in like nothing happened. I felt pretty good that in that time period I was not even tempted to log back in.
I find it handy to keep in touch with family and some friends, both real and imaginary internet variety. I’ve unfollowed those whose posts annoy me and flat-out unfriended some. I suppose it helps that most of my friends have similar attitudes, so I don’t have to deal with Trump lovers or racist assholes.
I do have to remind myself that it’s not a message board and people can post whatever they want - even when I want to scream “NO ONE WANTS TO SEE YOUR DINNER PLATE!!!” I just scroll past the inanity and take what I enjoy. I may give up some day, but for now, I continue to get more enjoyment than irritation from FB.
I joined FB because a friend knew more about my grandchildren than I did. This went back to when the grandchildren didn’t have their own FB accounts but my friend had friended my children. I stay on mostly for the same reason. I never even notice the ads. I will stay on, but I look only once a day and not always that often.
My experience isn’t the same as yours. I still get useful information, some interesting conversations, amusing diversions, and keep track of friends’ lives. I don’t think it’ll be going away any time soon.
It may have jumped the shark, but usage and user numbers has been growing consistently (about 14%) every year. And it doesn’t appear to be slowing down.
Now I don’t know if that proves anything, perhaps Happy Days had its highest audiences after The Fonz’s shark jumping antics.
I think the, ‘Young people are leaving Facebook…" is just a a tired meme that bored writers use when they need to crank out a story. Sure, some are, but I think a lot of them are the, "I don’t have a TV’ types that were a very loud small minority ten years ago.
iIwish their was another message board where I could keep up to date on groups or topics I am interested in and be able to have some insight into other lives. Plus be able to share some things happening to us WITHOUT all the crap plus the feeling big brother is watching.
Maybe its just what I’ve noticed but facebook has been getting more older generations onboard and many younger people are abandoning it all together or just use it for a login on other websites. I’m 30 and I gave up facebook at age 24. Couldn’t stand it, it was like a window into the selfish attitudes of so many people. I didn’t want to think that way anymore.
The value of FB all depends upon whom you gather into your circle of friends, and how they decide to use it.
At first, I wasn’t able to do that well enough to make it worth my time, (admittedly, I didn’t try so hard), and then suddenly almost everyone was using it, but mostly just as a mindless diversion.
I, too, quickly could see just how much free time so many loose acquaintances of mine had to repost stupid things, including obvious political trolling. In a way, instead of increasing friends, FB just showed who I definitely did NOT want as friends.
Now I hardly ever look at it, but I can definitely see that–as a news source for many people in 2016–it probably contributed to how badly things turned out.
It might have already peaked. They’re already trying to remake their image, and have always been acquiring, and putting their eggs into, other platforms.
I have the same experience. And I agree with the above poster who says it’s all about your friend group. If you just friend and follow anyone without any concern for the possible quality of their posts or comments, then FB will devolve into a mess for you.