Observation About Social Media

[Deleted Account]

About 2 months ago I decided that I was going to take control of my Facebook experience. Now, I'm not an avid user of social media, I really only use Facebook, and only check it a couple of times a day. However, I really became focused on how much of my Social Media experience wasn't "social". Between advertising, political crap, and brand messaging, I realized that most of what I was seeing had nothing to do with my social groups.

So, I unliked every brand, product, celebrity, interest, and political figure. I removed myself from groups that weren't local and personal (or work related, friend or community groups) and  I quit interacting with anything that wasn't a personal post from friends (political cartoons, images and messages that people shared from other pages, etc).

What I found is something that we all already know, but few of us actually notice. Facebook is nothing but noise, with a little of what you actually care about mixed in. I have found that I now care less about politics, and more about what is happening with my friends and family. I "want" less, because I'm not bombarded by ads, and believe it or not, your news feed has an end! That's right, I no longer scroll and scroll and scroll. I see about 25-30 posts, and then "no new items in your news feed".

So, I would challenge anyone to give it a try, go on a purge of your "likes" and groups. See what it does to your experience. I have had an account since 2006, so there was a lot of "likes" from 15 years ago that 21 year old me thought was awesome, but 35 year old me could care less about. However, those things were still shaping what I was exposing myself to. 

If you are one of those folks who have avoided the scourge of Social Media, keep it up, you are an inspiration!

Edited January 13, 2020 by Splitear_Leland
Typo

[The_Real_TCIII]

I killed my facebook a couple years ago and never missed it for a second

[grampy]

Never had facebook. Never will have facebook. 

[moog5050]

No Facebook here.  This is site and hunting beast to a lesser extent are it pretty much. 

[Salmon_Run]

Ditto, I will never have "social media". 

It's sad when entire families are at dinner, or events and everyone has a face lit up from a screen.

A few months back two other people and I sat in a waiting room having vehicles serviced, one was considerably older than me, I'm 59 and one younger. We engaged in polite conversation for nearly an hour and as we all were preparing to leave the elderly woman said how "refreshing" and enjoyable it had been to have had conversation. She added, if we all had phones it wouldn't have happened.

Watch today at how many people even make eye contact or can start and carry on a conversation...Sad reflection of our enlightened and enhanced instant contact to social media..    

[monahmat]

Personally, I go to Facebook about once a week now and Instagram a couple times a day.  I find Instagram has a lot less of the BS and I get more enjoyment from the topics I follow.  I agree with the noise on Facebook.  Starting about 2 years ago I began removing friends and follows faster than I've been adding and it's improved my experience.  I don't think a lot of people realize just how polarizing social media is.  If you 'like' something social media keeps putting more of that thing in front of you.  If you dislike something you'll eventually never see anything about it.  The end result is we never experiencing opposing viewpoints in a productive way.  There is also so much GARBAGE on there.  It drives me crazy the falsehoods that get posted.  No one fact checks anything.  We'll never have an honest election unless the social media propaganda gets fixed.

That being said there are also benefits that I believe some don't realize.  I like the ability to keep in touch with long distance friends and create social groups (similar to this page) and events without all the overhead, expense and hassle.

Edited January 13, 2020 by monahmat

[E J]

This is my only form of "social media". I've never had Facebook and doubt I ever will. My wife gets glued to it every night and its annoying!

[Deleted Account]

We can't say that's "it's a generational thing" anymore either. We've all seen 2 year olds and 70 year olds with their face buried in their phones or tablets. It's easy to place it as a character flaw as well, but it truly is an addiction.

[Robhuntandfish]

I have a Facebook acct. But on my page it says ...sorry I don't friend anyone. Which I don't . But sometimes you need it just to access information. I get on there mostly for the Oneida lake diehards site.  Other than that this is my online go to. 

[BizCT]

This site and instagram for me. I mostly lurk on bowsite because of the year-round hunting by members. i haven't had facebook since it was only for college kids and you needed college email address to have an account.

Edited January 13, 2020 by Biz-R-OWorld

[Paula]

I have Facebook for family that is out of state. 

We kinda all get on there and bash our football teams while it's on. 

I have a couple members from here on it, mostly though it's for family.  I do post some political stuff just so I can shove it in family members faces. 

 

[NFA-ADK]

I joined facebook years ago but only because my twin sister stated how everyone from school was asking for me.  It is nice to keep up with friends and family through it.  I get to see cousins I would never even know existed and friends who are far away can keep in touch.  I also love posting political stuff simply because it is so fun to get people taking about how bad ALL our politicians are along with the corruption and how they are basically pawns to those who donate to them.  

I am not on it enough to care about changing settings.  I go on it 2-3 times a week usually to see someone's post or news feed.  I also like the deer hunting info and pics!  When election time comes I get to post about the snowflakes and idiots who think we should be a communist country.  And that is always fun!  I usually get someone to argue with me, lol.  Sometimes it is family other times it's friends who went off the deep end or need money so they claim the wealth should be spread out!  LMAO 

[Deleted Account]

13 minutes ago, monahmat said:

Personally, I go to Facebook about once a week now and Instagram a couple times a day.  I find Instagram has a lot less of the BS and I get more enjoyment from the topics I follow.  I agree with the noise on Facebook.  Starting about 2 years ago I began removing friends and follows faster than I've been adding and it's improved my experience.  I don't think a lot of people realize just how polarizing social media is.  If you 'like' something social media keeps putting more of that thing in front of you.  If you dislike something you'll eventually never see anything about it.  The end result is we never experiencing opposing viewpoints in a productive way.  There is also so much GARBAGE on there.  It drives me crazy the falsehoods that get posted.  No one fact checks anything.  We'll never have an honest election unless the social media propaganda gets fixed.

That being said there are also benefits that I believe some don't realize.  I like the ability to keep in touch with long distance friends and create social groups (similar to this page) and events without all the overhead, expense and hassle.

I can echo every one of these points. I know was just beat to death with political ads that didn't connect to me, mainly because I liked something that halfway related. It would also show me all of the political crap that my friends and family would share because I had either liked or commented on things. I can see how people become influenced, and I'm sure Im guilty of it as well.

As far as use goes, my wife and I moved to NYS from Illinois, and are 1000 miles away from our closest family. Now that we have a 1 year old daughter, being able to share photos and videos, and especially being able to video chat with Grandma and Grandpa is invaluable.

[Deleted Account]

4 minutes ago, NFA-ADK said:

I joined facebook years ago but only because my twin sister stated how everyone from school was asking for me.  It is nice to keep up with friends and family through it.  I get to see cousins I would never even know existed and friends who are far away can keep in touch.  I also love posting political stuff simply because it is so fun to get people taking about how bad ALL our politicians are along with the corruption and how they are basically pawns to those who donate to them.  

I am not on it enough to care about changing settings.  I go on it 2-3 times a week usually to see someone's post or news feed.  I also like the deer hunting info and pics!  When election time comes I get to post about the snowflakes and idiots who think we should be a communist country.  And that is always fun!  I usually get someone to argue with me, lol.  Sometimes it is family other times it's friends who went off the deep end or need money so they claim the wealth should be spread out!  LMAO 

My rule of thumb is for friends and family like you is "do not engage".

[Otto]

10 minutes ago, Robhuntandfish said:

I have a Facebook acct. But on my page it says ...sorry I don't friend anyone. Which I don't . But sometimes you need it just to access information. I get on there mostly for the Oneida lake diehards site.  Other than that this is my online go to. 

I quit Facebook over 10 years ago.  I have not missed it.  This is my "Facebook".  I did subscribe my wife's Facebook account to the Oneida Diehards account, but I hardly ever look at it.  They were all on IceShanty.com, but there was more arguing than the helpfulness found here on this website.  I do miss Snagger's posts and photography. 

[mowin]

I have a FB account linked to a email that I never use. No profile, no friends. I only go on it for marketplace.  I won't post anything for sale as I won't give permission to access my photos and contacts.   I have my brother post anything I need to sell. 

This forum and a couple others are my only other forms of social media. 

If family and friends want to contact me, call me..

[Zag]

Never had fb, only social media is here until a couple weeks ago I fired up my Twitter acct mainly to get a better grasp on baseball things for my son and to promote his baseball accomplishments with the thought maybe some college scout sees it someday and checks him out. 

[Robhuntandfish]

39 minutes ago, Otto said:

I quit Facebook over 10 years ago.  I have not missed it.  This is my "Facebook".  I did subscribe my wife's Facebook account to the Oneida Diehards account, but I hardly ever look at it.  They were all on IceShanty.com, but there was more arguing than the helpfulness found here on this website.  I do miss Snagger's posts and photography. 

Yeah there is a lot of that for sure.  Arguing over "safe ice" all the time.  I check it like once a week. A few good tips for Oneida here and there or a good walleye recipe .  

It was kinda funny once.  I caught an eye off the canal one morn. Only fished for like 20 minutes.  So I gave it to guy so I didn't have to clean just one.  He posted it on Diehards that he had a good morn and caught a walleye. Lol

Edited January 13, 2020 by Robhuntandfish

[Pygmy]

What is  " Facebook"...??….Must be it hasn't made it down here to Dogpatch...The Pony Express...YES  !!

Edited January 13, 2020 by Pygmy

[Nytracker]

Huh I use to go to ice shanty ... but we haven't had much ice . Them boys have shack nasties all year round . It only gets worse with no ice . I still go there for ice reports . I looked for the first time this past weekend .  Just doesnt intrest me as much as it did 20 years ago.

[crappyice]

Huh I use to go to ice shanty ... but we haven't had much ice . Them boys have shack nasties all year round . It only gets worse with no ice . I still go there for ice reports . I looked for the first time this past weekend .  Just doesnt intrest me as much as it did 20 years ago.

Iceshanty was my first “social media” outlet hence the Crappyice name. See I was catching Crappies on the Ice and then they stopped biting so I found Iceshanty and asked some questions. I still pop over there for local ice reports cause I won’t ice fish until I am VERY sure it is safe


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[GreeneHunter]

Yeah I'm on FB .... I have Family in Europe and its the quickest way to share Pictures and BS with them !

[Nytracker]

I went to a get together up on oneida . We went out of big bay . Cold ass morning followed by a blizzard  with whiteout conditions . I have been back a few times . Still looking for a keeper walleye.  Dont have a machine so I walk . And hole hop out of Cleveland usually  . Never made it out to the tent cities . To far to walk.

My handle on there is ny_angler

Edited January 14, 2020 by Nytracker

[Lawdwaz]

Joined FB 11 years ago and was a member while helping to plan my 30th high school reunion.  A good friend of mine whispered to me "NOTHING good will come out of Facebook for you, only trouble".  After the reunion I dropped my membership as I could see that FB was something my life didn't need.  To each there own and isn't that a great thing.......

 

[NockednLoaded]

No facebook, Instagram,  snatchchat, or any of that. Life is so much simpler. I see some of the crap from family\coworkers on it and it's not for me.