[Closed] Facebook - do you still use it?

[quote=metalheart ]I refuse to have it on my phone though

That's a good point - on my phone I have to go via the browser as my phone broke and the FB app crashes it. Which means I hardly use FB on my phone when out and about, and I don't miss it that much.

However whilst it is refreshing in a way, it's also a real pain sometimes. I didn't mention before exactly how I use it (I've no idea how vicky knows - I'm now wondering if she's one of my FB friends I've never met 😉 ) but for several of the reasons mentioned above - a lot (most?) of my friends live nowhere near me and I haven't seen them for years, to chat about special interest stuff where the only people I know are those I've met through FB (hence FB friends I've never met in RL) and because several groups I belong to in RL organise lots their stuff on FB. Sometimes it's a pain not to get notifications when somebody posts a reply on an event I'm on my way to.

I use it a lot - but then it's more for professional use.

I find it very effective, the mix of media is excellent.

I filter out a lot of the shite from all but a few friends.

It's realitively easy to cut down on the spam by being selective with who you follow & using browser add-ons so the like of FB, Twitter etc can't track & target you.

Well done for dealing with your problem OP.

The comparison with booze is a good one IMO, it's great in moderation but you might have an issue if you're hitting it before breakfast every day.

I doubt my mate would have phoned me to tell me his kid did a great drawing in school yesterday, but I saw it (and the drawing) on FB and it was nice to see and made me smile. It's as if I'd popped round and seen it on the fridge, except they are at the other end of the country so that's hard.

Likewise my sister in law in the USA wouldn't have called me to say they went for a walk to the park and saw some lovely autumn colours, but she did post it to Facebook and I got to see pics and exchange a few words about it.

Sums it up perfectly. It might be digital but it's still human contact with people you actually know. Bit odd to swear off FB but post prolifically on here, where you probably only know a few people.

For the record, I actually feel a lot better and happier for deleting a lot of social media. I finally realised how much of a crap distraction it was in my life, and was really just killing time that could be much better spent.

^^^^^ This +1 ^^^^^

Crossover - I think I might add Ling to my Facebook feed 😆

The other thing to remember about Facebook is that it is a content aggregator not a content generator. You don't simply read it, like you do BBC News, you *use* it to get the content you want to see - usually that produced by the people about whom you care. If you don't like the content, change it. You wouldn't turn the telly on, leave it on QVC and then complain that telly is shite - you'd turn over to something you want to watch. You wouldn't walk into a pub, sit in the corner on your own for half an hour then walk out deciding pubs are rubbish. The pub experience depends on the company.

Likewise if you just log into FB and expect to be entertained you won't be.

'Use it', no. 'Look at it', yes.
I don't post much & comment little. I really can't believe how much shite people share/comment on though. 'If you think your English is good, type a word beginning & ending with 'T'. 🙄

I use it regularly.. yet I have friends who get really annoyed that I use it. They often proclaim in derogatory tones that they're 'Not on facebook.. Never have been'.

They prob did the same about mobile phones and the internet 10 years ago..

They're usually the same guys who complain that they miss rides etc as they never get to find out about them :/

Instagram is the worst and I hate it with a passion you can only dream of

Really? I choose the users I want to follow, whose pictures I enjoy looking at. I post pictures so others can enjoy mine (if they're that way inclined). Sometimes people see my photos and ask me to take photos of them, so they find a photographer and I find a model. Not sure I see something to hate in all that.

Given the number of I'd rather ride on my own, I hate people, people annoy me threads I can see why Social Media may have less traction here...

Really? I choose the users I want to follow, whose pictures I enjoy looking at. I post pictures so others can enjoy mine (if they're that way inclined). Sometimes people see my photos and ask me to take photos of them, so they find a photographer and I find a model. Not sure I see something to hate in all that.

this.

I binned FB as I mentioned above and transitioned to IG to get away from the way FB was showing me information. And i could start curating my own aesthetic on there and indulge in my interests which ironically i never did on FB. Perhaps i should have but i suspect like everyone else, most of my 'friends' online wouldn't give two shits about my biking/drumming/etc.

IG is easier to control and some of the content is creative and refreshing. It's not perfect but there is an greater degree of control- and yes i know FB owns IG..

scotroutes - Member
alpin - Member
Most often I end up costing people's grammar and spelling (your/you're, two/to, etc),
Oh teh ironing

Criticising!

😳

I don't post much & comment little. I really can't believe how much shite people share/comment on though. 'If you think your English is good, type a word beginning & ending with 'T'.

Click on the offender's profile and you can "unfollow" them, while still remaining FB "friends".

This is very useful for people with low quality control on their FB postings and annoying ****s that you happen to be related to.

HTH

I use it more when bored at work. It's also a useful tool for talking to various groups of people for one reason or another.

But it's off my phone and I'm aware that when I'm not sat behind a Mac I hardly look at it, which is a good thing.

The other thing to remember about Facebook is that it is a content aggregator not a content generator. You don't simply read it, like you do BBC News, you *use* it to get the content you want to see - usually that produced by the people about whom you care.

This. And this is what makes it dangerous when people rely on it for news.

They use various, depends on what type of parental control you feel you need but here is a list (in no order) that da Yoof Use Innit Blud.

Kik
GroupMe
WhatsApp
Musical.ly
Tumblr
Instagram
Houseparty
Live.ly
Live.Me
YouNow
Snapchat (mentioned)
Whisper
Monkey (mostly dating for teenagers)
MeetMe (dating again)
Omegle (uses other chat feeds to align teenagers with each other, mostly dating)
Yellow (sex/dating/porn for teenagers)

Now your all in a sweat, I’ll leave you to scan your teenagers (and under)’s phones

Or they are now downloading the apps for themselves.....

I binned FB as I mentioned above and transitioned to IG to get away from the way FB was showing me information.

But the problem there is that you'd have to take your friends with you. How did you manage that?

I am a social media whore.
Big Twitter user, professionally, it's very useful for gather industry news and trends, personally I find tweeting quite cathartic and have just sneaked over 10k tweets.
Instragam is just pretty pics and feels the most innocent of the platforms.
Facebook is use to keep in touch with people but almost never post.
I did try and use snapchat once but decided I was 15 years too old to get anything from it.

In response to this thread, I have just deleted my FB account. It feels good!

I have a page but never use or add because I have a life.

Frankenstein - Member
I have a page but never use or add because I have a life.

MySpace still exists?

Ok off for a ride. Losing minutes on this forum!

[quote=FunkyDunc ]Anyhow it’s only middle aged folk that use it anyhow kids don’t use it apparently

Depends what you mean by kids, and which kids. I have lots of FB friends in their 20s (mostly RL friends who I also see regularly), and a few teenagers. I'm sure they're busy using other social media, probably using it a lot more than FB, but I still see plenty of postings from them. Admittedly they're more on FB Messenger Chat - I'm in a very busy group chat where most members are in their 20s (which spun off from a club FB page for the "clique" - strangely enough despite being at least 10 years older than almost everybody and old enough to most of them could be my kids I seem to be in the clique). One of the reasons they're all using FB is the same as one of mine, because we organise club trips and outings through it (I'm not really on other social media - presumably there isn't anything else which really does that?)

I have a page but never use or add because I have a life.

And yet here you are !!

But the problem there is that you'd have to take your friends with you. How did you manage that?

No you don't. You can start an account and start posting - in 'isolation' from FBa dn its algorithms. It is a distinct social platform of its own. You have to chose to link your FB contacts to bring them over if you want to do that - I very much didn't and viewed it as a clean slate to start from at that time I moved off FB. Thus, out of my followers on IG, only a handful are former FB contacts who are hangovers from when I did use FB- and those people I know IRL as it happens. The images and content i see in my IG are closely tied to my interests and what I search for.

I never advertised my presence on IG to my FB page when i had both- FWIW cross posting across social networks is generally considered a faux pas and is to be avoided. It gets old really quickly seeing the same content from the same person on three or more platforms instantaneously.

I like the metaphor some one once used of the 'coffee table' version of ones life that IG generally represents. I try in most instances to curate my output as best I can in a manner that people might enjoy. Some of it is frivolous of course, but i try to make considered choices in my posts for the mood of the moment.

Its less of the effluent pipe FB was/is for me where anything seemingly goes.

I have a page but never use or add because I have a life.

... on STW... 😉

Its less of the effluent pipe FB was/is for me where anything seemingly goes.

But is that just because of the people who are on it?

Use it heaps

Keeping up with friends and fam back in UK, sharing pics of our kids growing up, local events and gigs

If you're using the internet you can be tracked, watched and monitored regardless so I'm not arsed with facebook it serves a purpose for me.

Look at people who use VPN's, thinking they're untraceable. I just read about a certain VPN that released date. Pah!

Its less of the effluent pipe FB was/is for me where anything seemingly goes.
But is that just because of the people who are on it?

seemingly was in my case! kidding aside, the way ppl used FB changed over the years I used it. It became as i saw it, a stick to beat people with and i disliked that aspect to the online presence of my nearest and dearest. Too much drama. And then you're left reading about yet another baby or house move. Not much stimulation there beyond the obvious.

The joy left FB for me, with a greater society shift to regurgitating political opinion - perhaps i just knew too many people of that ilk! It still has great value but the way information was surfacing was what pushed me away a the end. I'm interested in socializing- not stating at a noticeboard of reposted this and that. When you start blocking/unfriending some of the closest people to you- you know its time to step away.

When you start blocking/unfriending some of the closest people to you- you know its time to step away.

Does that say more about the people you are friends with rather than the tool they use. Problem with social media is seems to be the people you are friends with these days.

absolutely agree, and i concede some of it is a comment on who i know! Of course IRL, this is never an issue and i do still love and care for these people. FB though is so often a petrie dish for controversy imo- I think what im struggling to say though is that FB seemed to move towards a model that encouraged that constant regurgitation of information and not actual interaction.

Yep. Great for keeping in touch and finding old mates.

Its just a tool, use it to your advantage.

FB seemed to move towards a model that encouraged that constant regurgitation of information and not actual interaction.

I use it quite a lot and enjoy it, I have hidden or removed the people who post rubbish and have added quite a few things that I want to read about - local news, sport, cycling news and a few funny/joke pages.

I am also a member of 2 groups that arrange rides so being on Facebook allows me to see and take part in these, it is also a good way to share photos and a bit of piss taking afterwards.

Lastly it means I can easily keep in touch with friends who have moved around the world.

No idea why anybody would hate a platform that allows you to add the people you want and customise the content you see?

I also don't get the argument that it takes too much of your time, unless I haven't configured that option, nobody holds a gun to my head while I am forced to sit and look at it rather than interact with the people around me.

I work in the Press industry. It is amazing how much I use it for gaining personnel information.

[quote=lowey ]Its just a tool, use it to your advantage.

I'm getting the impression there are some poor workmen 😉

yep and some people who are just realising who their friends are

@hooli - I don't "hate" FB, I've just no want/need/have use for it. Any feature "Foo" that might be useful to me I can already do with "Bar" without the FB intrusions.

Nothing fancy whitestone, just "like" the pages of things you are interested in and this will mean you can see those posts. Top right corner of each post has a drop-down and you can select options to "see less of this" or similar.

If you don't want to see your aunt Susan's dog/kid/selfie for the 33rd time this week, click on her name and then select unfollow.

When you join groups, you can also select "see this first".

But if you have something else that gets you the same stuff then there is no need?

Yes, I still use Facebook: it's how I keep in touch with friends in other countries and in other parts of the Country.

Nothing fancy whitestone, just "like" the pages of things you are interested in and this will mean you can see those posts.

To start with, then unlike them if they only end up posting dross or ads.

[quote=hooli ]If you don't want to see your aunt Susan's dog/kid/selfie for the 33rd time this week, click on her name and then select unfollow.

Maybe the advantage for me is that I don't have and never have had anybody on my feed posting stuff like that. Mind you I don't have an auntie Susan.

There was one chap posting links to alt-right stuff, but I didn't even unfollow him - I just selected not to see stuff like that, so I still see his kayaking pics, whilst I don't see those if anybody else posts them either. Otherwise I just apply the same filter I do on here and scroll past stuff I don't want to read rather than blocking people.

Actually I'm curious - how many other people on here have FB friends they've never met? I've now got quite a few, and some of them post some of the most interesting stuff on my feed - though the chap mentioned above is also one of them.

Use FB all the time. Multiple times a day. I find it very useful.

I'm in Facebook Groups for:

- Reception Year parents for local school
- Year 3 parents for local school
- PTA for local school
- Cubs/Beavers
- What's On in the village group
- Buy/Sell for the village (+ a couple of other groups for surrounding areas)
- local cycle campaign group
- cycle club
- kayak club

Not sure how all that would get organised without something like facebook? I'm guessing a confusing mess of emails, phone calls, chats, text messages, cards in windows, leaflets through doors, etc etc

Actually I'm curious - how many other people on here have FB friends they've never met?

I have a number of people from here on my FB feed who I haven't met, and some I have.

I keep meaning to friend more from seeing them on other STWers comments but I keep forgetting who's who 🙂

Strangers are just friends you haven't [s]met[/s] followed yet.

how many other people on here have FB friends they've never met

Not me.

Our little group of riders have a private cycling group set up on FB for organizing rides an stuff. Not visible to anyone unless you are a member.

Actually I'm curious - how many other people on here have FB friends they've never met?

Just a couple from here, a few I've worked with remotely and another handful from MTB advocacy.

And I would consider myself actual friends with some of these.

Actually I'm curious - how many other people on here have FB friends they've never met?

This is the bit I never got about FB.

When I was on FB my wife, on my FB page, accidentally sent a friend request to a friend of one of my friends. I did not know this person or had never met this person and had no idea of their relationship to my friend and as far as I know they didn't know me.
But they accepted the request! Why would you do that?

BTW I don't hate FB, I just had no real use for it so binned it. Whatsapp groups are good enough for me.

It's like booze - you can enjoy a nice craft beer or two with friends once a week, or you can be an alcoholic. Or anywhere in between.

So "craft" beer is the furthest you can be from being alcoholic eh? I blame social media.

seemingly was in my case! kidding aside, the way ppl used FB changed over the years I used it. It became as i saw it, a stick to beat people with and i disliked that aspect to the on-line presence of my nearest and dearest. Too much drama. And then you're left reading about yet another baby or house move. Not much stimulation there beyond the obvious.

The joy left FB for me, with a greater society shift to regurgitating political opinion - perhaps i just knew too many people of that ilk! It still has great value but the way information was surfacing was what pushed me away a the end. I'm interested in socializing- not stating at a noticeboard of reposted this and that. When you start blocking/unfriending some of the closest people to you- you know its time to step away.

That's pretty much been my reason to quit.

I thought it was my age, I'm 40, my mates are all about the same age - it's bloody rare to do anything of note, when all you seem to do it take the kids to various clubs and I'm bored of 'liking' all my mates Strava posts out of politeness, so they'll do the same for me.

The rest is lazy 'shares' of nonsense that wouldn't pass even half a look at snopes.

Nonsensical, Motivations style things, honestly, for a laugh I used a site (I think posted here) that just sort of vomits random words onto a Getty Pic of someone on a boat or something, 15 likes.

Kid Pics - I've got kids, they're amazing, they're the best kids, the cutest kids, they do the best things - but sadly all my mates have got kids and whilst they're just normal kids, not like my super kids, they're delusional enough to think their kids are special so-how? Weird, anyway they like my kid pics because they're awesome and I pity like theirs.

The worst though, has got to be FB Nostalgia, it's all of the above, regurgitated on it's anniversary every year.

Interestingly (to me anyway) I think FBs days are numbered, my Son is social media mental - he's Mr. Insta, Mr. Snapchat and others I can't remember the name of - doesn't want, or care about FB, it's for old people, My sister is 18 years my junior - 22 as of a few days, ago, has a FB account so my Mum can 'keep an eye on her' never uses it, hardly uses SM at all, none of her friends do - "too impersonal". Young lads in the office don't use it "it's where your Mum spies on you".

Where the action seems to be these days is Whatsapp Groups, it's private, or as private as you want it to be, you don't feel any social pressure to be friends with anyone, people tend to be themselves, not some BS polished highlights real person they want to people they went to school with the think they are.

[quote=ads678 ]When I was on FB my wife, on my FB page, accidentally sent a friend request to a friend of one of my friends. I did not know this person or had never met this person and had no idea of their relationship to my friend and as far as I know they didn't know me.
But they accepted the request! Why would you do that?

Only one of mine I think is like that - but she's also on one of the local activity groups I belong to (well I'm an admin of and organise events for), and I'm sure I will meet her at some point. Most of the people I've never met don't even live in the UK - I think all of the rest are unicyclists. Though I personally have a basic rule, I don't accept friend requests from anybody I haven't at least communicated with in some way, even if that's just commenting on the same post.

edit: actually having just checked, one FB friend is somebody on here I've never met.

Actually I'm curious - how many other people on here have FB friends they've never met?

Only one, she's my Wife's Cousin, they'e pretty close but haven't seen each other in the flesh in years as she lives in LA and Vegas. She was Meatloaf's Tour Manager for years, now she's with Kesha - we chat a bit actually, she seems one of the few who get my odd sense of humour. She doesn't post much, but it's usually so far removed from the normal Baby/Holiday/Nostalgia/InternetNonsense it's really interesting.

I think FBs days are numbered

Nope. Two billion users now. Has arguably become the world's biggest media company. Making much more money than other social networks.

Your son will get older and will join FB, especially now you've quit it.

Don't take this the wrong way, but do you think you might be projecting a bit?

As I pointed out up there, plenty of younger people on it, who will probably end up posting baby pics in a few years (I'll defriend them at that point).

FB isn't going anywhere, even Google couldn't dislodge them. If a startup competitor comes along FB will either copy their ideas or buy them out.

Edit: a bigger threat might be regulatory bodies. If they get too big then they could be split up in the same way that Bell (the telecoms corporation not the helmet manufacturer) were.

Where the action seems to be these days is Whatsapp Groups, it's private, or as private as you want it to be

We have a standing WhatsApp group for my drinking circle to organise pub meets, trips, banter and occasional bike rides.

But for other stuff WhatsApp seems [i]too[/i] personal. I wouldn't want to be in a WhatsApp group for all the parents in my daughters' years at school. Or a WhatsApp group for the PTA or for buying/selling stuff locally. Facebook Groups seem ideal for those.

Interestingly (to me anyway) I think FBs days are numbered, my Son is social media mental - he's Mr. Insta, Mr. Snapchat and others I can't remember the name of - doesn't want, or care about FB, it's for old people,

Thing is FB has changed. I joined when somebody at work (a youngster) set off on a world tour and stated that they would not be sending out emails with pix, as had been the norm up til then, but would post on FB. Then over a few years I found it a great way to reconnect with friends around the country - it had sort of become a super-efficient post-card and Christmas card replacement. Now, for me, it's become a barrage of copied novelty items and political nonsense, much as email became at one time. Simultaneously it's become a marketing tool like a website. On the positive side there are all sorts of buy and sell groups and small clubs find it quick and easier than setting up a web site. So usage does depend on what you want, and it will have changed over the years it's been around.

Snapchat and so on are just messaging and transient, so tales of youngsters abandoning FB for those are not really surprising.

Scrap my previous comment about never wanting to join....i am sooo tempted now just so I can see Lings Facebook page 😀

Very apt post by Matthew Inman of 'the Oatmeal' today...

[url= http://theoatmeal.com/comics/reaching_people ]reaching people on the internet[/url]

Yeah ironically enough I saw that on Facebook this morning.

Yeah ironically enough I saw that on Facebook this morning

Yep me too, I did wonder how much it cost him to promote it!

That's a good comic strip.

Does anyone here specialise in FB advertising/marketing? I'd be really interested to hear your thoughts on how that kind of thing really works. The ratios involved etc

Just say some words such as "Cadbury's Wispa" a few times in the vicinity of your phone; it'll be on your FB feed within a day or two.

THe other thing that's worth a rant is people constantly sharing left wing ideological pro muslim drug addicted vegan bollocks. Who're you sharing it with?!?! Your friends that hold exactly the same views as you!!! Where do you live?!! IN a little bubble on the furness peninsula!!! NONE of it affects you anyway, nothing serious that happens in the world ever will!!! Thankfully I don't have to be friends with them in real life 😉

davidtaylforth - Member
THe other thing that's worth a rant is people constantly sharing left wing ideological pro muslim drug addicted vegan bollocks.

Although to be fair, it's good that they do and I keep some of them as FB 'pets' so I can be reminded of the stupidity of crowds from time to time...

davidtaylforth - Member

Who're you sharing it with?!?! Your friends that hold exactly the same views as you!!!

Do all your friends share exactly the same views as you? Bit weird.

Just say some words such as "Cadbury's Wispa" a few times in the vicinity of your phone; it'll be on your FB feed within a day or two.

I uninstalled the facebook and messenger apps from my phone as facebook started showing adverts for things I'd only spoken about - I had been telling my mum how to use a velux window in a holiday home we were in and hey presto I started getting loads of ads for velux. I've never searched for anything to do with velux windows or anything and the only other thing I can think of is previous holiday makers had googled velux windows from the same IP. In the T&Cs it does say they can use your mic and camera at any time and there have been various things online about it listening to you so I wouldn't be surprised if it is.

Never had an account, never wanted an account, saw it right from its inception and thought how the hell would they monetise it. Since then they have driven the fine line of punishment and reward, much like any of the free to play games kept the features flowing whilst chipping away at everything else.

for anyone in the early 90's the internet was going to be a portal a walled garden with limited access to the rest of it. Aol, Compuserve etc.... now its Facebook you get an email telling you have received an email... walled garden again... sorry I'm going to throw an insult at all of you 'Sheep'

Never had an account, never wanted an account, saw it right from its inception and thought how the hell would they monetise it.

sorry I'm going to throw an insult at all of you 'Sheep'

facebook started showing adverts for things I'd only spoken about

They would need special permission from Apple to do that, which seems unlikely.

Facebook (and Apple) would be opening themselves up for a massive lawsuit, especially as FB have [url= https://newsroom.fb.com/news/h/facebook-does-not-use-your-phones-microphone-for-ads-or-news-feed-stories/ ]expressly denied[/url] doing it.

Plus of course you can just turn off the apps access to the microphone. (And if Apple are ignoring that too they'd be in even deeper legal trouble).

there have been various things online about it listening to you

Yep, the conspiracy theory has been circulating for at least four years that I know of. But no one has ever been able to prove it.

I get ads for things I have spoken about but not searched.
The Daily Mail once quoted something I had said in asmall local group.
Younger family become competitive over likes.
People portray their lives as unrealistically successful.
It spreads images I am not comfortable with, violence, objectification of women.
It is very time consuming.
It spreads falsehoods and manipulates group behaviour.

For those reasons I turned off notifications, once you do that it soon becomes irrelevant and you may as well get rid of it.

I turned off notifications,

As for the microphone stuff.....

I think it knows who else is in your household, so it will show you ads for things you've spoken to your OH about and they've searched for.

It also probably searches your fb messages so if you are talking about stuff on there it will know.

As for the price of using it.. the price is better advertising. Not that high of a price imo. One of the main themes in my ads seems to be stuff I've searched for or bought on Amazon. And I get them on countless websites including this one. So basically everyone's at it even those who have nothing to do with FB.

I'm not a sheep.

As for the price of using it.. the price is advertising

FTFY

Facebook's business model is based around pestering you with ads so that you carry on being a good little [s]sheep[/s] consumer.

As a rhetorical question: if MI5 (or any other government security agency) came up with something akin to FB and the price was better security would you sign up?

People portray their lives as unrealistically successful.
It spreads images I am not comfortable with, violence, objectification of women.
It is very time consuming.
It spreads falsehoods and manipulates group behaviour.

This is what I was talking about above and I just don't get it, please help me understand.

How can somebody portray their lives as unrealistically successful? Do they put fake job titles in their profiles, do they photoshop the family pics to include a helicopter and a speedboat? Or do people post little snippets of their lives that they think people will find interesting and you are taking this as them showing how successful they are?

A bit like watching the highlights of a football match, it is obviously not like that for the entire game and we don't expect it to be. That doesn't mean the BBC are showing football to be unrealistically interesting, it is just the way it works. No different for facebook...

How does it spread images of violence, objectification of women etc. I can tell you there is next to none of those on my feed so is that something your friends pass around? If so, they would be doing it anyway and facebook just brings it to YOU so you can either choose not to associate with those people or you can challenge those friends and possibly stop it. If anything, facebook has helped.

How is it time consuming? Does anybody force you to do 2 hours of hard facebook graft every day, does your profile cease to exist if you don't spend xx hours a day on it?

It is a tool and in some ways a mirror of your surroundings, you cant get angry at the mirror if you don't like what you see.

And for the ads, just install an adblocker and be done with it. Obviously turn it off when visiting STW 😉

Facebook's business model is based around pestering you with ads

Not unique is it? We've had newspapers, magazines and TV funded with advertising for decades; and most of the internet is ad-funded. It's just that now there's a slightly better chance you'll see an ad for something you want.

Most of mine are for outdoor gear or similar - I see special offers on boots which is handy since I need boots.

People portray their lives as unrealistically successful.

Some people do - but my friends don't.

It spreads images I am not comfortable with, violence, objectification of women.

IT doesn't - your friends do.

It is very time consuming.

The amount of time you spend is entirely under YOUR control.

It spreads falsehoods and manipulates group behaviour.

No, PEOPLE use it for that in the same way that people use TV and print media for the same thing.

Remind me who's a sheep again?

It's just that now there's a slightly better chance you'll see an ad for something you want.

Want? Do you mean need? The whole point of advertising is to replace "need" with "want".

My wife's on FB and the other day there was a giggle and a "look at this". "This" turned out to be one of the Simon's Cat cartoons, in fact it was the [url= https://simonscat.com/blog/catmando/ ]first ever one[/url] and I'd seen it before. The cartoon is a full 97 seconds long but FB decide that they'll stick a fekking commercial in the middle of it!

No. The publisher of the content decided to include an ad.

THe other thing that's worth a rant is people constantly sharing left wing ideological pro muslim drug addicted vegan bollocks.

😆

Gay and disabled. You forgot the gay and disabled bit.

FB decide that they'll stick a fekking commercial in the middle of it!

I watched Dave Gorman on Dave the other day and there was like eight entire minutes of ONLY ads filling the entire screen in a half hour show! They even stopped the show in the middle to show me more adverts! And they were for stuff I had no interest in at all! Shocking, when will it end? What's the world coming to?