I virtually never use Facebook. It’s years since I made a post. My situation is similar with Twitter. I only use it to occasionally message organisations for various things.

I’m more active on LinkedIn which is useful for job hunting. Still, it’s not a space I enjoy being full of boasters, virtual signallers and chancers trying to invent themselves as ‘brands’ and gurus.

Generally, I find social media a shallow place that encourages narcissism and hot-temped and ill-thought our responses. Nothing is as noisy as opinion these days.

Social media is a tool, if you’re seeing stuff you don’t like then you’re using it wrong.

Sure, the algorithm is fine is you’re looking at steam trains and it offers you a traction engines appreciation group as something you might like, . But FB will also encourage the Incel morons and right wingers and feed them stuff they might also like as well and you know that they are modifying their pages so that they only see things they want, which is a dangerous distortion of “reality”. as far as FB are concerned those two examples are the algorithm doing what it’s supposed to

You keep telling yourself that.

Oh wow, I’m hooked into a mire out of my control and understanding 😱

Oh wow, I’m hooked into a mire out of my control and understanding 😱

No, just product used to generate advertising revenue for the owner – whether it’s here or Facebook. But you knew that.

But FB will also encourage

just like every other thing ever, the Penguin book I’ve just finished dedicated the entire last page to recommendations for similar, it didn’t say oh you enjoyed reading Peter Pan to your kid, why not try a political thriller, a paper on ancient Greek and a pastel coloured book about a single mother who moves back to her home town to open a trinket shop, the landlord is handsome but a bit of a nob, however her straight talking 4 year old daughter has a transformative effect on him and she starts to wonder, could he be the one?

PS, knives kill so I’ve not used one since 1976 & don’t get me started on cars, I really don’t understand them, just money grabbing death machines, never used one, never will…

just product used to generate advertising revenue for the owner – whether it’s here or Facebook

So the only difference I mentioned was advertising yeah? Weird

So the only difference I mentioned was advertising yeah? Weird

Still arguing on social media, I see.

I have mine pared down so I’m only connected with people I’ve strong links or see regularly anyway. Found it just weird to have weekly updates on people who I’d not seen in years. Then muted the ones who post too much. Still see the odd post from idiot friends of friends if they were tagged or something, nonsense about sunglasses sales. “Brands” can do one.

Stopped posting many years ago. I don’t have multiple fronts as a person, but I felt I couldn’t post anything which someone or the other would dislike or be concerned about (not that they ever mentioned), or someone else wouldn’t want something visible by certain people. Mum would be concerned about “you’re not riding your bike down that are you”, enviro-conscious friends would tutt at car antics, don’t want to be putting my new thing or latest trip in the face of others less fortunate, family would be mortified at friends banter (back in the day), and so on.

Most annoying thing about social media for me without them is that various clubs, organizations and companies are using only Facebook and Instagram for posting information and you can’t really read things properly if you don’t have an account. E.g. one trail center nearby uses only FB and IG to inform about opening times and route conditions.
Of course this removes need to have their own web pages but since even ‘open’ FB pages are now showing quite limited content it is not really helping us without accounts.

just like every other thing ever, the Penguin book I’ve just finished dedicated the entire last page to recommendations for similar,

I’m pretty sure you are actually well aware that reading a recommendation for The Dark is Rising on the inside back cover of Harry Potter is just a teeny tiny by different from the FB algorithm noticing you read posts about Swastikas and then recommending a group shooting the breeze about Eugenics.

This thread is brilliant on so many levels. Please, do tell me (by posting on social media) how much you dislike social media?

I reckon you knew this already, but the distinction between a forum like this, and e.g. faceache, is easy to see, is it not, by the marked lack of any recommendations, likes, pokes (are they still a thing?), dislikes, filtering, profile engineering, etc. Oh, and, your photos are now our photos, and selling your data, because who cares about privacy.

That might’ve already been said, but poopooed by the intellectual giants amongst us.

I wonder if this will become Thread of the Week and be spammed out on Facebook?

I reckon you knew this already, but the distinction between a forum like this, and e.g. faceache, is easy to see, is it not, by the marked lack of any recommendations, likes, pokes (are they still a thing?), dislikes, filtering, profile engineering, etc.

Are you telling us that different platforms have differences?

*unfriends ransos*

I’m pretty sure you are actually well aware that reading a recommendation for The Dark is Rising on the inside back cover of Harry Potter is just a teeny tiny by different from the FB algorithm noticing you read posts about Swastikas and then recommending a group shooting the breeze about Eugenics.

But at a base level, its not, its just a far more advanced system of delivering it.

The chan forums have people on there who are incredibly dangerous but the same people here who are all “social media is evil” seem to be very similar to the ones that are “forums aren’t dangerous”.

Guns don’t kill people rappers do.

The chan forums have people on there who are incredibly dangerous but the same people here who are all “social media is evil” seem to be very similar to the ones that are “forums aren’t dangerous”.

But those people aren’t being channelled towards people who think the same way so their views go mostly unchallenged.

It’s a completely different beast and to argue otherwise is just ignorant.

But those people aren’t being channelled towards people who think the same way so their views go mostly unchallenged.

Are you kidding me? So the notorious online breeding ground of QAnon & other hate figures is just a friendly mixed view love-in and in no way encourages other like minded people to visit & hang out there?

Guns don’t kill people rappers do.

I’m not sure that’s a good analogy. There’s been quite a bit of research about the uses of thumbs-up, hearts  and other emojis that are designed solely to trigger an emotional response that’s close to flight or fight, so after a while users of social media tend to end up angry, confused, scared and irritable. I get that you’re making the point that SM is a tool, and it’s the humans that tend not to use it well, but this is a tool that’s been specifically designed to wind you up. That’s the difference, unlike other tools that one can claim are “neutral” (I don’t think that’s true of guns, but that’s probably for a different discussion) SM is engineered not to be.

I’m glad that on STW they’ve resisted embedding likes and avatars.

@nickc ok, I’ll concede to that, its a fair point.

Facebook. Only have account as my mate in NZ uses Messenger to stay in touch. FB app not downloaded on phone.

Twitter – only on phone so I can read the ‘pithy’ twitter links you lot post on here and my mate sends me by WhatsApp.

No Instagram or any of the others.

Oh. STW. Dammit. OK I’m addicted to this place. Who needs reality TV when you can ‘watch’ the same things play out on the SKS, Boris, Coronavirus and F1 threads 😂

It can be just as toxic on here as FB so don’t start thinking it’s that much different.

I tried deactivating Twitter a couple of months back, but ended up reactivating it.

I’m hoping this thread will motivate me not to go back after doing it again a few days ago. 🤞

@nickc

Nailed it.

just as toxic on here as FB

Yeah but can it really though? If you think that, you really don’t know much about Facebook. In my opinion obvs. Which I won’t deviate from now I’ve typed it. Well, unless you prove me wrong, of course.

STW moderators: one or 2 blokes sat in their bedrooms, glancing over stuff which may get a bit spicy
FB moderators: well…

Not completely but I’ve not really bothered with Facebook and never had an account on Twitter. I tried FB out and decided it’s not for me. It encourages people to show off, the tryhards, nosey parkers and petty gossips have a field day!

FB is and was geared up from day one to keep people engaged. I remember when it was new and all the rage, friends and acquaintances thought I was weird not using it. I thought they were weird, constantly checking on it and running off to IT suites to send each other little icons of drinks, while I went to an actual bar and socialised. Unfortunately at the bar, there were some who were constantly distracted by their phones, sporadically starring at their shoes/crotch and felt the need to take pictures of their drinks and surroundings.

Never used Twaddle
Never used Stalker Book
Never used Cuckoo Clock
Never used Instant Attention

My life feels tragic, incomplete and I just know I’m missing out on life and being totally unfulfilled.

That aside I dont miss a thing. I dont feel i have a gaping hole in my life. I see the people I think are important and worth spending time with. And I’ve also gone as far as stopping reading the news. Happiness has gone up ten fold.

TBH….when “FACEBOOK WENT DOWN FOR 35seconds” becomes world news. Yet the middle east is totally fubar’d or another war just started in an african state somewhere just about makes it to page 37 of the Daily Rag….says it all for me.

Use it or dont. Just dont make it the be all and end all. Live a life in the real world and make the virtual world a small part of it. I’m sure there’s a load of good stuff on social media but the stuff I hear about seems full of “I’M A NO-ONE DESPERATE TO BE SOMEONE…..So I’ll gloss everything up to be a fantasy”.

I’ll take my chances without.

Is there a direct correlation between people who don’t like social media and those that have wacky names for it?

I’d estimate 90% or more of my social media interaction is positive, this is because, much like in real life, I avoid things that annoy me.

Came off FB in September, haven’t missed it or wanted to go back to it either

I’d estimate 90% or more of my social media interaction is positive, this is because, much like in real life, I avoid things that annoy me.

Quite. I use Facebook for various cycling groups and clubs, and that’s it. I don’t find it at all difficult to avoid the other stuff.

Is there a direct correlation between people who don’t like social media and those that have wacky names for it?

There definitely is for people who don’t actually use it… and thereby know exactly what it’s all about.

Yeah, took myself off Facebook after CA; didn’t miss it for a second.

so after a while users of social media tend to end up angry, confused, scared and irritable.

I see you’ve met my wife then?

Something else I noticed from the early years was the demands for instant attention/response and disproportionate rage people displayed online.

People who work in offices seemed to think you should respond to them instantly or be put on a performance review!

Reviews would go something like this…. Username: MissPinkFluffyWuffy – The product was ordered XXXX and arrived XXXX, one hour later than agreed!!!! As a result my son died and my house burnt to the ground. 1 STAR, although I’d give it ZERO if it was an option. I hope the sellers kids get raped and their family die of cancer. I’m still awaiting a full refund and compensation.

Whilst there are people with genuine grievances, there’s a lot of pathetic drama and arsehole amplification going on!

I view FB every few days. Seldom post anything. Mrs TiRed enjoys Twitter. I have an account but don’t post.

This is where I hang out.

I went back to FB a few years ago for cycling groups and more recently the village group but you still get the sponsored content injected into your feed. The snooze, mute, unfollow options are useful. Started using Insta for motivation for riding trials. YouTube for mostly cycling and music, and general entertainment. Not that bothered about follower or like count but it’s nice when something I’ve uploaded is appreciated as niche as it is.

I have just deactivated my FB account. I got drawn into ‘discussion’ with a stranger that brought nothing but stress into my life. The straw that broke the camels back.

I have deleted Instagram.

I have a Twitter account for work.

I might spend this evening deleting a lot of accounts I don’t need, and instead go ride my bike more.

Sorry to read that Matt, you weren’t in the wrong there

deleted my Instagram account last month. Oddly felt like a weight lifted off my shoulders. Not entirely sure why, as i was no addict. (FB went a few years back and havent used any other social media platforms)

I now keep the Misspent Summers magazine/book close by, so i pick that up and read a page or two, whereas i would grab my phone and pointlessly scroll in the past.

I know social media brings some benefits to some people, but i do believe the world would be a better place if it didn’t exist. You know, like the good old days.