Last week (article below*), we dished about Facebook, and posted a poll about how you feel about Facebook.
Well the votes are in. According to our highly unscientific, shirtsleeve poll, a lot of us are fed up with Facebook:
Some 55 percent of the 244 respondents are Fed up and only 20 percent are Fans. Some respondents – about 16 percent – cancelled their Facebook accounts, and 9 percent never even had a Facebook account. So far it looks like Facebook is losing its appeal to many and there’s a big reason why…
“I only go on every few days, just to find out what my family is doing. Not interested in political stuff.”
-Fran L.
Other readers also cited how divisive FB has become as a real turn-off.
However those who like it really like it!
“I love reading what others that share my interests do and say, even with such an age disparity in most groups.”
Barbara L.
Several commenters mentioned scams and attempted scams, and others noted that FB administration seems unbalanced in how they handle comments.
Facebook Faces the Music
It looks like Facebook/Meta is facing the music, too. Recently the company suffered a $232 billion drop in stock value, the largest one day loss in stock market history.
Take a spin through the comments, and see if you recognize any of the comments – and share your own!
Original Article:
It used to be so easy. Answer a few questions, add a few friends, and boom! The world opened up. I could go online and join a group of people I went to grammar school with, get a quick read on what’s going on with friends and post my freelance writing for friends, family and acquaintances.
Uh oh
Over time, though, Facebook became less fun. The political fights, unasked-for opinions, and the sheer volume of information, pix, IMs and more became too much. I was actually getting depressed when I logged in. I didn’t recognize a lot of the people asking for invites to join my list. I became more concerned about privacy and very concerned about scams and identity theft.
Drive By Friendships?
Another big issue for me is something I call “drive by friendships.” People post a pic of their vacation, or an update on how they are feeling, and that’s all the communication from them I get…but if I don’t respond, or don’t respond in a timely manner – they get butthurt.
Meanwhile…**
So I’ve been off Facebook for a few years and I’m toying with dropping it in favor of more Real Life – phone calls, letters, even emails. (Not to mention that trying to login now after such a long hiatus is really involved and annoying). I’m wondering if Facebook is even worth it to me.
But how about you? Are you fed up with Facebook? A fan? What do you use it for? Take our poll and tell us more in the comments!
Virge Randall is Senior Planet’s Managing Editor. She is also a freelance culture reporter who seeks out hidden gems and unsung (or undersung) treasures for Straus Newspapers; her blog “Don’t Get Me Started” puts a quirky new spin on Old School New York City. Send your suggestions for Open Threads to her at editor@seniorplanet.org.
**Stay tuned at seniorplanet.org/socialmedia for any upcoming tutorials scheduled about Facebook.
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COMMENTS
31 responses to “Open Thread Update: Facing up to Facebook”
I stopped checking FB at the beginning of the pandemic, and have yet to get back on. I plan to use it going forward, just for sharing photos and catching up with friends, but will avoid all political commentary, no matter how true or how outrageous, disturbing, or just plain BS.
Facebook is a part of my daily life. I use it to browse through interesting posts about nature, animals, some politics, photography, crafts, music and more. The best thing is keeping in touch with friends all over the world.
I do not think children should be allowed to have accounts, because they don’t have the maturity to understand the dangers of predators, and online bullies.
Well said
Always suspected FB would make fortunes on its users data. Refused to join. Have no problem communicating with anyone I want to be in touch with. No need for FB.
I’ve had FB for 15 years & deactivated it on 1/1. I might return at some point, but for now I’m enjoying real life precious time. I just wasn’t enjoying it anymore, too many ads & I want real connections. To solve the photo sharing FOMO problem, we bought an Aura digital photo frame, so our kids add photos/videos of our grandkids & their events to the Aura App. So far, so good, actually so great. I still have Messenger App, so if a Facebook friend wants to reach me, they can.
I’m REALLY enjoying Facebook. As a Christian I simply STOPPED in 2020 so much deviceness with political stuff. So with DISCERNMENT, WINDOM & BALANCE I went back DETERMINED to ENCOURAGE family, friends & Christians through my FB story pages. LOVE IT!! REGARDLESS of skin tones we each have EXPERIENCED the lost of a job, finances, death of a friend, family member, anyone close, REGARDLESS of our locations on the map. Bitterness, anger, jealousy, decitfullness EATS HOLES IN YOU! PICK YO FIGHT!!
I still use Facebook a lot; I just scroll past what I don’t want to see. For a free service it still lets me keep in contact w/people I wouldn’t ordinarily email.
I use Facebook only for my neighborhood and boot camp information.
The algorithms are hard to understand when I don’t receive posts from certain friends and not others – or I receive the posts days later.
FB has lost its appeal as a way to maintain personal contact with family & friends. I am also offended by FB’s blocking of certain public figures, whose politics differ from theirs.
However, FB is my primary source of information about activities in the community, such as concerts & lectures. In addition, during most of covid when my church suspended in-person worship, the church broadcast weekly services via FB live.
So, I have found ways to use FB that benefit me.
Never had an account nor plan on having one.
Don’t understand if a person is “fed up” with something why they would keep going back to it. Maybe looking for a different outcome?
Facebook is not just Facebook anymore where we are able to connect to family and friends that we don’t get to see very much. Now FB is a platform for Dating, they entice you to see who is waiting “just for you”. I think they need to leave the Dating to Dating Sites only. They also have added Reels where you can see people act out things like TicTock. FB needs to get back to the what they started with and stop trying to be everything for everybody.
I am in total agreement but want to add that it has become so political sine the previous potus.! And the ads are so disruptive! Long story short Facebook has gone to the dark side! Unfortunately, at least in my case, 2 of my kids still use it to keep up with family events so I do get back on the site just to see family pictures.
REALLY??…we even blame the issues of social media on a past president?
I think it’s time to move on….+sigh+
I love reading what others that share my interests do and say, even with such an age disparity in most groups. Maybe it’s because of this disparity that I learn new things! I think Facebook is a great place for intergenerational activity. I state my age (71) often, and have never been rebuffed.
I am widowed and was catfished 4 times by men who wanted nothing more than money or gift cards! So I took myself off and will not join any social media! And I am 74!
Joyce: Good for you, I am not a fan of social media either. I am 81 !
Fed up with social media overall! Giving tech giants the ability to take away our free speech is un-American and unacceptable! How quickly America has gone from having the greatest generation that overcame war, the Great Depression, and hardships without complaint, to the soft, self absorbed social media babies that get hurt by others’ political views, feel the need to “cancel” someone for using the wrong word or different opinion, label something as “misinformation”, etc.
I said I’m fed up, although there are things I’m interested in such as local happenings through the local city FB groups. Seeing what friends and family are up to as well, but I get sucked in and spend exorbitant amounts of time just scrolling. I love the access I have to all things arts and crafts. Bottom line, I need to be spending all that time creating my own art forms. I have nothing to show for all that time frittered away!
There’s no gray area between the comments: I neither am fed up nor a fan. My high school class as well as my family reunion committee have sites from which I get usable information. My pet peeve is others tagging me in their posts and appearing on my wall. I stopped logging in regularly during the campaign for the last presidential election, and now may go months without logging on; can’t say that I really miss it. No one seems to write anything original, just paste things they’ve found.
I can’t believe all the personal stuff people put on FB! Why would anyone do that? And the people who post nothing but selfies? Is that a lack of self confidence, stupidity, or out and out narcisissim? And selling stuff on there?? Pets? That’s just asking for your animal to go to an early death.
For families who wish to send a bunch of photos it’s understandable, but choose who gets to see it just like groups do, because nobody else is interested except hackers and stalkers.
I was recently warned by Face Book after sharing a post suggesting that if you are ever lost and your phone battery is dying, to change your voice message to give information about your location so that when/if your phone dies, people will know your predicament. Because it did not say you should call emergency services first, which I thought was a given, they removed my post for having missing information and warned my future posts would be moved to the bottom. Not as big a fan as I was before.
I originally opened a FB account to keep up with my 2 sons, both of whom have since left the forum.
I voted that I am a fan, yet I am conflicted about it. With over 300 “friends” now I often find it to be TMI to sort out. Some real friends and family message me privately and/or share interesting pictures and information about what is going on with them.
I don’t mind having different opinions from others. What a boring world if all my friends agreed with me completely.
I avoid clickbait. :-)
Facebook is the only social media platform I use. I keep in touch with family and friends, the city, county, news, weather, follow places and groups I’m interested in. I will block or unfollow anything I don’t like, like advertisers, people spouting incorrect information, etc.
I tutor seniors about digital items at our local centers. One asked to have her Facebook account closed. She did not remember what her PW was or any of the recovery information that FB asked for. There was no way to do it, even after writing snail mail to them, writing to our federal representatives for intervention … nothing. This is reprehensible. What can be done?
My reasons for not liking FB are perhaps different from yours. I have never known what it’s good for. When I go to my account I simply see a lot of people who I don’t know that want to be my “friend”. I’ve never known how to navigate where I can just have like-minded folk in a room. When I do get into a room of like-minded people, I don’t see any real communication.
But this could all be due to my lack of knowledge in how to navigate FB.
Use FB search at the top of the page. Describe what you are interested in, in one or two words. Examples might be…women over 70, quilting, self-publishing (my favorite), anything! Join a group…hate it? Leave the group so you won’t keep getting notifications and try another group or two or three. It’s fun, it’s free!
THANKS for the opportunity to comment on the article / survey about Facebook !
Very timely survey about Facebook !
Some add’l thoughts about it:
1 – The survey (or maybe a future one !) could ask alot more questions !
Such as:
= What was your main purpose of using Facebook ?
[check all that apply]
photos
chats
new friends
old friends
= If no longer on Facebook, what was your reason for quitting it ?
= What advice would you give for anyone who stays on Facebook
(re: identity theft attempts, personal disclosures, etc._
2 – Track actual # of votes in each category
I actually voted that I was ‘fed up’. But a guy from my elementary school recently saw a random comment I had made, and asked if I was the one from our town. So now, every day, I look forward to seeing a number up in the right hand corner either meaning, I guess, a personal message or a public message? But either way, they cheer me considerably if they are from my old friend from the mid-60’s! I almost feel my heart skip a beat when I see his name. I doubt this will go anywhere, but…
Minimize Facebook. I only go on every few days, just to find out what my family is doing. Not interested in political stuff.
I’m torn…. It can be a source of support and self help resources, but sifting through the fodder and chaff… laborious!
I have used it for business /hiring, and the reasons it works for that are very likely the reasons it is more frustrating for users (fb knows ALL about its users, and grows by exploiting that info I guess… ⚖️
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