Facebook Has Become A Manipulative Boyfriend
 

:thumbsup :thumbsup

Re: Facebook Has Become A Manipulative Boyfriend
 

Facebook is the Mark of the Beast! :heeheehee

Re: Facebook Has Become A Manipulative Boyfriend
 

:heeheehee:heeheehee

I was at a nail salon with my daughter a year or more ago and was flipping through a magazine. I ran across a comment by Scarlett Johansson saying that she didn't know what this huge need for sharing was about on FB. Having been deciding whether to stay or not, the article facilitated my decision. I was like, "I know, right? Why do people want to share everything about themselves every day? It's exhausting to have to keep up with. It's like your phone ringing off the wall." LOL!

She makes a good point at the end of the article. And I also agreed with her point - "That kind of narcissism is hard to resist. It begins to feel natural."

The funny thing is people will say, "Oh, I just keep up with friends and family." But, if you talk with them further, somewhere in the conversation they will talk about the "lurking" that they mainly do. That is just being freaky nosy, IMO. LOL!

Re: Facebook Has Become A Manipulative Boyfriend
 

Our society glamorizes celebrities. We are told and taught to put them on pedestals so they can be worshiped as idols. I have always cringed at the word idol (teen idol, American Idol). What does this have to do with Facebook?

We so much want to be famous. We teach kids do anything they can to be a star. Be the best at sports so you can be a ball player or football star. Learn to sing, rap, play guitar so that you can be in the spotlight on the stage. Always try to get everybody's attention so that you can be the one everybody is talking about. What does this have to do with Facebook?

When all else fails we can still set ourselves up as famous, stars and idols. We get on Facebook and brag about what we have done, or about what we are going to do, or how many fake friends we have. Brag about our house, car, job or how much money we make.

Maybe one day the Facebook me can meet the real me. If they got together for lunch would they recognize each other? Maybe they should change the name to Fakebook. So many people put up fake lives. When their friends become jealous they idolize you. They talk about you and finally you are the center of attention.

Re: Facebook Has Become A Manipulative Boyfriend
 

If you go to somebody else's neighborhood and peep into their window at night you might get shot or go to jail. If you do this on Facebook you are a friend checking up on them. :heeheehee

Re: Facebook Has Become A Manipulative Boyfriend
 

:thumbsup

I guess I am just really angry because I see it effecting people I know and mainly effecting the youth. And I guess I am angry because I see what a strong hold social media has on people's lives. They are dependent on it and are lying that they are not dependent. Actually, more than being angry, I just feel really sad that we can't help people see what it is doing to their lives. Especially, as most won't admit it is effecting their lives.

Re: Facebook Has Become A Manipulative Boyfriend
 

:thumbsup :toofunny

Re: Facebook Has Become A Manipulative Boyfriend
 

Facebook, like anything else, should be done in moderation. I love Facebook because I have contact with people both from my past or present that I might not otherwise have contact with because of our busy lives, distance, or just because.

I don't get involved with drama. I don't allow dramatic people on my friends list. I don't post statuses that I wouldn't want everyone to know about. I don't talk about the wrong my husband does. I don't discuss work. I don't detail my entire day the entire day. I don't get into personal discussions on my wall. I don't get into arguments with friends about the president. I don't have pity parties so everyone can feel sorry for me. I don't make generic statements like, "If you are trying to get to me, the joke is on you!", then, when people ask what I'm talking about, I tell them I don't want to discuss it on Facebook.

I don't address people who aren't reading my Facebook as if they are. I don't discuss my past as if I'm looking for pity or people to agree with me. I don't share political posters or videos. I don't sent out game requests, although I play some.

What I do on Facebook is share pics of my family, their accomplishments, speak about what God has done for me, share something about my church, wish everyone happy birthdays or holidays, and occasionally share a poster and tag my friends to whom it applies. :)

I don't have family that lives near me. I don't do snail mail or even email anymore. I love seeing pics of people and their families that I haven't seen in a long time, some since I was a child (which was quite a while ago, I have to admit). I have a grandmother still alive who I have to call on a regular basis and travel to see her when I can because she doesn't have a computer and says she will never get one! I recently saw her and she asked me about pictures. I told her if she had Facebook, she would see them.

She hit me on my head.

With her cane.

Some people cannot handle social media. They don't get enough attention in real life to fulfill themselves and social media has become an endless audience where someone, somewhere, will validate them as they need.

If you are one of those people, Facebook isn't for you. If you like Facebook but don't like drama, don't add those people to your friends list and delete them if they are already there.

Oh, and she really didn't hit me with her cane. ;)

Re: Facebook Has Become A Manipulative Boyfriend
 

My husband and I decided when myspace first came out, and then later facebook, that face-to-face relationships are best, and with all the personal privacy invasions that these kind of places abuse, we have stayed away from them.

Sadly, like Sasha just mentioned, people don't send pictures any more, either by mail or email. If you're not on FB, then you really don't know much if anything about them at all. I find this sad. I reach out to family members and send emails, or mail, but when asking them for a picture or an update, I find out it was on facebook. A cousin of mine had a much anticipated baby, and I never knew until months later that the baby was born, because it was on "facebook"...

So, I do see how facebook totally hinders relationships, both if you are on FB or not. It is just all sad to me. We have no regrets about not being on FB, except for the fact that many family and friends forget that we are not on FB, and we don't get to hear about important news, and never see pictures, unless we ask. That is an unfortunate side effect for us for not using FB. But, in spite of that, we still do not want to get involved with FB. Our life is very peaceful without it.

I also think that we can only handle so much information about relationships with others. Too much information about 200 people (or more) can put us on information overload, and cause more stress than we can handle in our lives. I also think that FB has caused more stress in relationships than it has helped.

Re: Facebook Has Become A Manipulative Boyfriend
 

I believe this is truly a part of it and also because we live in a very narcissistic society. I believe Social Media feeds into that and can include more than just FB, of course.

I read a study showing that 30% of the youth today have become more narcissistic. That number has doubled over a 30 year period and has generally always been attributed to older people in previous studies. Also during this 30 year period, there has been a 40% decline in empathy.

This is a good article hitting the main points of the effects of Social Media without being lengthy.

Even if you appear to be having a great experience, the largest percentage of people are not. That is what I am focusing on with this thread. And I do agree with moderation, which should encompass many more areas of our lives. I can admit I have not always been moderate on forum posting or reading and reporting on the news.

Re: Facebook Has Become A Manipulative Boyfriend
 

Sadly, my own mother is one of the worst. LOL! She shares about everything that comes her way, and my notification box is full of her political views, Aunty Acid posters, and just random thoughts. LOL!

Re: Facebook Has Become A Manipulative Boyfriend
 

Good post. I agree. :thumbsup

And many of those 200 and plus people are not really close friends. I just heard a preacher say, "How many of you would call all of your FB friends and tell them you had a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast? Yet, you will post that on FB for everyone to see and 'like'." :toofunny

My father has been gone for over 10 years and his sisters still send me cards in the mail. That is the kind of people who really love you and those are the people I keep in touch with.

Re: Facebook Has Become A Manipulative Boyfriend
 

A lot of my friends on FB were political and we had a big dust up and divide during the last election. I was in one group that I loved, but then they started wanting everyone to have all thoughts in conformity and that was it for me. I'm too much of a rebel. :heeheehee

Re: Facebook Has Become A Manipulative Boyfriend
 

I agree, Facebook is eeeevviiiilllll. That being said, I recently joined. :girlytantrum Am I nuts or what?

FB has enriched my life so far. Part of me hates that I joined, the other part was tired of being a one man protest.

For all of you who are still hold outs. You are to be applauded. :)

Re: Facebook Has Become A Manipulative Boyfriend
 

Our church went on a media fast just recently. I wasn't even on Twitter. :heeheehee

It felt really good to turn off all the media for a week.

I don't know why it irritates me when I hear someone say, "Yes, I read that on FB." Maybe it's because I know they couldn't care less otherwise. They would never call the person, visit them or help them for the most part. But, they don't mind reading their FB page. LOL!

Re: Facebook Has Become A Manipulative Boyfriend
 

I am only on FB. I refuse to tweet, pin, or gram. ;)

Re: Facebook Has Become A Manipulative Boyfriend
 

:heeheehee

FB is built on a social networking platform and Twitter limits you to 140 characters. And there are NO games - YEAH!!! :heeheehee Every person in my Twitter account is political. Okay, I have a Spanish preacher, don't recall where is he located, who posts in both English and Spanish, so that is useful to me. :heeheehee

Just found this comparison:

Ugh! I do not care what someone is doing every day. I just want facts - hence - Twitter. :thumbsup

Re: Facebook Has Become A Manipulative Boyfriend
 

I think I read something about that on FB.:heeheehee

Re: Facebook Has Become A Manipulative Boyfriend
 

:toofunny

What about Selfies? I had this one woman who had to post a new Selfie about 4 times a week. And the guys were like, "Beautiful!" And she would be like, "Oh, geez, stop!" No, don't stop. I'm going to post another one tomorrow. :toofunny

Re: Facebook Has Become A Manipulative Boyfriend
 

I know a guy who does that!

Re: Facebook Has Become A Manipulative Boyfriend
 

:lol at the people who try to say Twitter is different, and better, than FB. It's not. It's all the same thing, updating activities, thoughts, information, pictures and videos. In fact, Twitter is worse by allowing porn and other junk. They even allow terrorists to tweet out their propaganda. Case in point, Facebook recently banned pages for ISIS. Twitter allows them to tweet their propaganda.

Re: Facebook Has Become A Manipulative Boyfriend
 

I was in a fast food restaurant with my husband the other day. I gazed around the room at different people who were there eating. Two older women were eating, with no phone in site. My husband and I were eating with no phone in sight. Just to the right of us, a couple of men came in, and as soon as they sat down at the table, their phones came out, and they ate with their phones in their hands. Across from us, a couple of teenagers sat with their phones in their hands, totally mesmerized in the phone, while eating.

I wonder how many people are so concerned about their updates on FB that they would forgo face-to-face conversation, and instead spend their time tapping away on the phone? I know that my quick estimate in the restaurant was that about half of the people there eating and sharing a meal with someone, had that meal also shared with a phone in hand.

Anyone else noticed this?

Re: Facebook Has Become A Manipulative Boyfriend
 

Yes! Why do they even bother going to eat with anyone else?
They sure don't pay any attention to any thing but their phone.
Does anyone find this rude beside me? It's like the real world does
not matter to most anymore. Real conversation is being lost.

The worst thing to me though, is seeing a car coming your way on
the highway and seeing it swerve all over the road. Of course when they
pass by I see them looking at their beloved phone in hand. Seen this
way too many times. Very frightening when you think of how many
are doing this all the time while behind the wheel.

Re: Facebook Has Become A Manipulative Boyfriend
 

You already have a guy who does that and you just joined?!!!! :toofunny Does he have a comb over? :toofunny

Re: Facebook Has Become A Manipulative Boyfriend
 

Hey, chicken little, are you talkin' to me? :heeheehee

FB deleted my posts supporting gun rights - several times. I kept re-posting them until they stopped. lol

Twitter is not worse than FB. You're being ridiculous. I saw porn shots and other junk on FB as well.

The thing I like about Twitter is that you get to choose what issues or what arena you want to follow. You don't have to worry about your sister, aunt or friends getting offended if you post something political. Most people that like being out there with their personal life like FB.

I am a news junky and Twitter is more my style. Everyone is serious, pointed and only concerned with passing information along to those who are concerned about our country and world affairs. FB is not like that. It's too personal and I don't have the time for it.

Anyway, everyone has the right to choose their own venue. I simply posted the article because I have seen FB changing too many people's lives in a negative way. It's just sad to me.

Re: Facebook Has Become A Manipulative Boyfriend
 

I know someone that almost lost their child in a drowning accident, they were so immersed on their phone reading FB!

This is hilarious! I passed some guys working cattle yesterday and one of the men was talking on his cell phone! I started laughing because, I could never imagine my father being on a horse with a cell phone. We've come a long way, baby! :heeheehee

Re: Facebook Has Become A Manipulative Boyfriend
 

I can't stand eating out with people who won't put their phone down.

Re: Facebook Has Become A Manipulative Boyfriend
 

Never have, likely never will.

Had to pause and take a snapshot of a rear glass sticker in a pickup last year that said "this isn't Facebook and I'm not your friend!"

Re: Facebook Has Become A Manipulative Boyfriend
 

:toofunny :thumbsup

Re: Facebook Has Become A Manipulative Boyfriend
 

Not just you. :lol I have a friend who thinks he's better than other people who are on FB because he uses Twitter and Twitter is for the "more sophisticated" crowd. Then I started copying and forwarding various tweets I've found following the trends. He's been a little less vocal about it since.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not against Twitter. I just like the functionality of FB more. My church's music and youth staff have a group chat on FB which we're able to use to quickly disseminate info. We also have group pages where we can exchange info and files. You can't do that on Twitter.

Everyone has their preference. I'm just saying they are both much the same, and in terms of content, I guarantee you Twitter is much worse and allows much more junk than FB, unfortunately.

I keep my FB friends limited. I'm not like the one's who connect to anyone and everyone. The people on my friends list are close family and people I know very well and truly consider friends. I have a Twitter app, but I rarely use it. My last tweet was months ago.

Re: Facebook Has Become A Manipulative Boyfriend
 

Well, it certainly isn't a more sophisticated crowd. It is who you hang around with. I should have sent you my neekid photo spread of Scott Brown someone posted on FB. Maybe Bratti saved it here. I sent it to her PM box. :toofunny

I can see that would be important to you.

Sorry, it's not worse. I've had to block posts on FB they were so offensive, and I've deleted people for their sexual stuff - both men and women. I've been a part of both and have been involved with Twitter much more than FB. I saw more offensive stuff on FB than I ever have on Twitter. The only thing that has come up for me on Twitter are porn people who randomly follow people, which you can block right away. They may post links, but you don't have to click them before blocking. lol

I have topped out at 1,700 followers on Twitter. I have most of the really informed people and the others are a little too radical. So, I think I only followed four people back the past couple of weeks. Some I block and others I allow them to follow me without following back. My profile states that a re-tweet is not an endorsement.

Re: Facebook Has Become A Manipulative Boyfriend
 

It does both bother and sadden me. We have met up with people for dinner, who randomly pulled out their phones, or just kept them right by their plate, as we ate and visited.

You are right, that is so scary! It is illegal to text and drive in most places now, I think.

Re: Facebook Has Become A Manipulative Boyfriend
 

I too know of someone whose baby almost drowned because she was busy either texting, or on FB.

It really is important that we are having this conversation, as another aspect of the FB syndrome is that so many people seem to feel their self worth depends on their facebook status.

I am hopeful that the trend will go full circle, and people will begin to realize the true value and worth of relationships that involve seeing someone's face and body language, interaction, and communication, instead of just a word in cyberspace.

Speaking of facial expressions and body language - there is so much that can be said without saying a word at all... which is why these relationships through texting, and FB are so dangerous. You can say all kinds of things in a text, or on a post that can be faked, but your body language and facial expressions convey so much more in person, face to face.

I don't think that FB and Twitter and those things should go away necessarily, but that people should realize the dangers of getting so caught up in a "fakebook" life, that they forget that they have a REAL life to live.

Re: Facebook Has Become A Manipulative Boyfriend
 

Good post! Couldn't agree more! :thumbsup

Anytime I text my husband he just texts back - k

:heeheehee

Re: Facebook Has Become A Manipulative Boyfriend
 

LOL... I am one of the holdouts... do I get a happy face sticker or something? :heeheehee

Re: Facebook Has Become A Manipulative Boyfriend
 

A man of few words, huh! lol

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Yes, he is like that in real life.

Re: Facebook Has Become A Manipulative Boyfriend
 

Well, at least he is not "faking" it... :heeheehee

Re: Facebook Has Become A Manipulative Boyfriend
 

LOL!

I might have already stated this earlier, but I read that people are texting more than talking on the phone because they feel they have more control over the conversation.

Re: Facebook Has Become A Manipulative Boyfriend
 

Yes, because your facial expressions, and body language can be dead giveaways that your words aren't matching your reaction and thoughts. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. It is much easier to lie with words in cyberspace than to lie while speaking to a person who is looking you in the eye.