Why I don't use Facebook

[ukeye]

My opinion is that facebook sucks. It has cheapened friendships and dissolved honesty between people. It has made acts of gossiping and bullying more frequent. It has lead to a more conservative society where people are less themselves and more like their internet profiles.

I would rather spend time being myself than advertising my "self perception" to the world.

And for GLBT people coming out it is darn right confusing.

Anyway that's why I don't use it.. Discuss

[Owen]

My opinion is that Facebook is an invaluable website. It has enhanced my friendships through the added dimension of our online interactions and kept alive friendships with people I haven't seen since high school. It allows me to be more honest because I know exactly who is going to see what I put out there, and I can even specify it to a few people if I so desire. It also allows me to get my ideas, as well as interesting things I find on the internet, out to more people, and the conversations I've seen happen in the comments section on my posts between people who might have never met otherwise, or just between me and my friends, have been nothing short of wonderful.

I'm more myself on Facebook because the nature of the medium allows me to choose words that accurately reflect what's on my mind, something I find very hard to do offline in real time. It allows the real me to shine through, rather than it being held back as it is offline by my reservations, social anxiety, and general awkwardness. I'm much less reserved and I have more personality on Facebook, since I don't feel any reservations holding me back. It truly allows my self-perception and my perceived identity to be as similar as they can possibly be.

And for coming out, it has been invaluable. Being able to list "Interested in: Men" on my profile has saved me a lot of "I never would have suspected!" talks that I would otherwise get because I don't fall into any of the categories that make people assume someone is gay, and it made telling people that I'm genderqueer easier because I could throw it out there in a status update for all to see.

Everyone's experiences are different, and the quality of your experience on any social medium is going to be greatly affected by the kind of people you interact with. But it's all about how you use it, and my use of Facebook has lead me to see is as an invaluable addition to my social life.

Originally Posted by Owen

...because I don't fall into any of the categories that make people assume someone is gay, and it made telling people that I'm genderqueer easier because...

Excuse me, but what is genderqueer?

[Danny19]

i love fb, i have reconnected with friends i used to be with. and i keep my connection with friends i cant see a lot. I talk with people that have moved away from my city without getting charged for some dumb reason. Facebook is pretty damn useful to me.. and theres so many more reasons, but Owen made it pretty clear lol

[Yuya]

I use facebook to organize meetings and outings with friends and keep in contact with my family and friends overseas.

Another useful function is pages which I often build to share pictures, findings, news and information to other people. It could be about things you love like Places, Brands or TV shows.

[RedState]

Ah!!!!!! Someone else!!!! I thought I was the only one!!!
I don't have a Facebook and I refuse to have one.

"Why don't you Facebook" says a colleague of mine

"Because I'm a fucking adult...that's why" says I.

Besides, the government keeps tabs on all that crap (and yes, I worked in government for 8 years..and yes..they do actually have a program that tracks trends on social media) so I'm not gonna shop at that market.

[Rooni321]

I agree.

---------- Post added 29th Oct 2011 at 12:58 AM ----------

Originally Posted by Owen

It allows the real me to shine through, rather than it being held back as it is offline by my reservations, social anxiety, and general awkwardness. I'm much less reserved and I have more personality on Facebook, since I don't feel any reservations holding me back. It truly allows my self-perception and my perceived identity to be as similar as they can possibly be.

I do agree with this. Especially with me being so reserved.


And on a random side note;
I just thought you should know that you're the only person I can disagree with and still think highly of. Just realized it today.
Thank you very much

[fiddledeedee]

Originally Posted by Chrisyan

Excuse me, but what is genderqueer?

Someone who doesn't conform to the gender binary (man and woman). This can be feeling like neither one, feeling in between, feeling like both, etc.. It is one of the subcategories of transgender, though it is different from transsexual.

---------- Post added 29th Oct 2011 at 09:15 AM ----------

I haven't got facebook because I feel too lazy to get and consistantly update it. I feel it is a good thing, as it can help people be less reserved and (hopefully!) less likely to express anger in a negative way as it is writing not speaking. It can also help keep long-didtance friendships with people in other countries/parts of your country. I can see how it would make coming out easier as well.

I don't think it encourages people to be more conservative; while groups with minority views can track each other down more easily, I thikn that overall it encourages people to be liberal because there are a wider raneg of opinions.

[Robert]

Originally Posted by ukeye

It has lead to a more conservative society where people are less themselves and more like their internet profiles.

Example?

[MommaFrog]

I dont use one because that's how I found out my ex-husband was cheating on me, his facebook... he then got online and did nothing but spread vicious rummors and lies about me, so I just deleted my facebook so I wouldn't have to deal with it....

[Shmoe]

I used to use facebook but I stopped. I found it was boring at first, so all I did was try and make people mad for laughs. Eventually people got wise to my ways and would just laugh with me, which took most of the fun out of it.

[needshelp]

i am rarely on facebook because there's nothing much to say or do.

[Sheyceli]

Most people don't believe me when I tell this story. See, my dad's side of the family has decided to stop using email and they all signed up on Facebook in an attempt to be more "modern". My grandparents actually set up a Facebook account for me, which I ended up deleting after a couple of months of commenting lightly on photos of family members and refusing to accept friend requests from people at my school, because I am sure that would only bring me drama. I just got bored with it. There's nothing interesting about it to me, really.

[Drowzee64]

The world is becoming less and less of a private place. I just embrace it for what it is. I don't care if the government and a couple stalkers know that I "liked" the movie Up. I don't think that Facebook friendships are the same thing as real friendships. I just use basic internet safety, really. Don't post when you're leaving on vacation, don't use apps that ask for too much personal information, don't accept friend requests from people you don't know, don't put your address on your profile information, all that jazz.

I do agree that a lot of people are too fucking stupid or mean to use Facebook, though. I think some of the features (like having your address on your profile and adding a location onto your posts, for example) should be removed because of those bad apples.

[needshelp]

Originally Posted by Sheyceli

Most people don't believe me when I tell this story. See, my dad's side of the family has decided to stop using email and they all signed up on Facebook in an attempt to be more "modern". My grandparents actually set up a Facebook account for me, which I ended up deleting after a couple of months of commenting lightly on photos of family members and refusing to accept friend requests from people at my school, because I am sure that would only bring me drama. I just got bored with it. There's nothing interesting about it to me, really.

wow. that's another reason why i don't mess with facebook. family members. you say something on facebook that's foul, is something that might stir some feelings or whatever and somebody might pop up telling you to watch your mouth or ready to tell your parents what you said.

i'm thinking about deleting facebook because of future employers. don't need to ruin my chances of getting a job in the field i'm looking towards especially now.

[ukeye]

Originally Posted by Corporal Sparks

Example?

What i was getting at here is that people splash their egos on a social networking site. So in a sense they are self evaluating. They will post their likes/dislikes/activities and basic life as something that is static. It is not just facebook, but the age of information.. e.g. 'I read something on wikipedia about a stomach upset and now I think I have an ulcer' or facebook 'I joined a 'I hate pokemon' forum on facebook' so now anyone who likes pokemon I will dislike... I just don't like something that so obviously advertises a distinct judgment. If you have fb photos of you in a certain fashion you are surely likely to dress that way in front of your facebook friends.. it just seems crap.

Wow a lot of responses.. looks like I only had a few sharing the same view. I think in the future people will understand more.. maybe when emails are clogged with spam and marketing is ingrained in every aspect of our lives. Till then, enjoy your facebooking. I am not judging those who use it, nor trying to change anyones habbits. I am merely showing my own view on the use of social networking and its cons.. which I feel outweigh the pros.

[x2x2x2x2y2]

People have control over what they do on facebook. Someone shouldn't blame fb for what they do on it.

If someone doesn't like it, well don't use it then.

[Bi As A Kite]

November 5th, people! But who is Anonymous? Hackers fighting for freedom or CIA? We shall see...

[starfish]

Remember the fifth of November

[Lexington]

Facebook is a tool. And like all tools, it is what you make of it. A hammer can be used to build a house, or bludgeon a skull. Fire can be used to cook a meal, or destroy a house. Similarly, Facebook can be used intelligently or non-intelligently. I certainly have seen my share of Facebook drama and gossiping and whatnot. But I've found it very easy to rise above, and not get involved in any of it. As my friend and I like to say, "Don't feed the (drama) llama." If someone is really negative, or does nothing but amp up the drama, I just block them or delete them, and stick with the people who can use this tool intelligently.

Lex