[KingMessi]

(Original post by Kruz)
Kony thing was ridiculous, it's funny how nobody cares about it now.

This.

I deleted my Facebook between December 2010 and June 2011 as I just got too sick of it, and I could have dealt with it were it not for the fact that no-one seemed to be aware that you can invite people to events in ways other than Facebook...

[Dee Leigh]

(Original post by Kruz)
Kony thing was ridiculous, it's funny how nobody cares about it now.

Lol I know right!!!

[lost_puppy]

It's scary how times have changed since I first used it. I had so many invites to it and half way through my first year, bit the bullet and started (I'm 25 now and going to uni again, so this is in a totally different stage of FB). Uploading photos and statuses were a novelty and so I did it for a while, but it's evolved to a whole new level. With the celebrity culture rife, it's no surprise that people will get a kick out of it while trying to emulate it, especially when it's so easy to. It's almost like "editing" your life - like your own snapshot of what you want your own life to be - it's an interesting concept, but not one I indulge in.

I get annoyed when people pose for such things when they clearly didn't happen - I know girls who ignore some people and then kiss them on for a photograph and they seem appeased (I wasn't the person, I don't think I have a "kissed" photo on FB because surprise, surprise, I actually genuinely kiss and I'd want it to be private) and things like that can grate on your nerves. But if you truly know these people, you'd expect them to be like that anyway. I just look over it now and use FB for events and catching up with friends abroad.

What scares me is school kids using it. 6th form is fine, but secondary school? It's at your most self-conscious stage of your life - I can't imagine that it would be socially healthy. Obviously you'll get the big egos getting their imaginary buck's worth, but the bullying and the insecurities... it's not going to be pretty in any case.

[aspirinpharmacist]

Self confessed Twitter/Facebook addict. Well, not facebook so much now, I mostly use it for facebook chat and events and things, it's so much easier doing it all on facebook where everyone can see what's happening and you can update everyone on what's happening at the same time, rather than phoning/texting everyone, which can get pretty expensive if you're on pay as you go and you're trying to mobilise the troops.

[Dinnes]

(Original post by ACEdwards)
I'm a guy, 20 years old...and I do have a facebook account. However I have previously deleted it in the past, only to realise it's like not owning a mobile phone. Plus I have a lot of old friends and friends from sport I compete in and random people tag me in pictures of me in my sport which is cool. However I do not like using facebook. I don't even fill out any information about myself let alone upload pictures other than a profile picture.

It really annoys me when people upload pictures of themselves everyday, or pictures of the food they've just cooked etc. It seems that people live in a 'facebook' kind of way nowadays...where it almost matters more about how they appear on facebook than how they appear to us in real life. My friends are always updating statuses when they go out places, and take photos of what they're doing. I just keep away from all that and I am also really contemplating deleting my facebook again...if it wasnt for all the old friends from my sport and the pictures then I would delete it right away. I guess i'm just the one who is rebelling against the 'modern way of living'...I almost think I should have been born in another era!

What are your views on this?

I think with facebook there are two ways you can use it:

a) Like twitter - Posting every single annoying, incessant, and pointless thing that comes into your head
b) As an actual tool - It's just so much easier to talk to people, find out information, and organise events using it than having to ring people up (not least because often I won't have their phone number and I@ll have to ring the home phone, going through the "yes, hello parent. I am a friend of your son's etc. etc." conversation)

Cause with phones it's intrusive, when you ring someone you're saying "TALK TO ME NOW" - with facebook it's a good mix between that and email: people can respond but don't have to, and can see who else is available to talk/answer questions/provide moral support/whatever

Because of this I find it invaluable as a social tool. I do use it a lot, every day even, but I actually use it for a purpose.

Maybe I'm in a minority :P perhaps you could make a similar criticism of these very forums!

Dan

[ufo2012]

(Original post by Dinnes)
Cause with phones it's intrusive, when you ring someone you're saying "TALK TO ME NOW" - with facebook it's a good mix between that and email: people can respond but don't have to, and can see who else is available to talk/answer questions/provide moral support/whatever

That is only because you haven't got the balance correct. People can get out of this attitude, just because someone calls doesn't mean you have to take their call that very second. That is a product of the "always-on" society which is complete BS.

If you are unavailable at that time, the person can try back later, or send a text.

Being a good mix with email is a good suggestion, but then we also have actual email for that very purpose and text mesages as mentioned.

[Dinnes]

I've always found email is too difficult to use - you can't ever see who is free to help you out, same thing with texting. But I agree that both are more helpful than ringing.

I understand your point about phones but if I have a phone ringing at me I find it quite annoying if I decide to ignore it. I think also if say you're insecure about something (say a relationship for instance) and don't want such a personal conversation with someone, facebook is a better option than phones (although in that scenario I'd say email is just as good, but you understand my point )

[noodles!]

I got rid of mine last month after having been on it since... 2006, I think. I still go to type in the address when I come online but actually there has been no significant loss in my life. There are a couple of people I would quite like to keep in touch with if possible whose other contact details I don't think I have, but otherwise it's fine.

The biggest problem is not getting to see regular pictures of my goddaughter who lives 5 hours away from me.

[Pitt1988]

(Original post by GoingInsane)
I agree. However, the annoying thing is how people use it not the site itself which is useful to connect with people. The drawbacks are numerous though.

For one, it panders to an idol system people are too weak to resist. The ego you can be, the image you can present- the possiblities are endless.

Its like your life as an OK! Magazine headline. Your 15 mintues of celebrity, your name in print, the banal minutiae of you life annouched in 24hour newsculture. It allows you too manafactur identity.

Its a haven for the narcissits and preys on the insecure. Your every move can be externally validated and your ego stroked by a 'like' even for the most trivial thing such as what you had for breakfast. An opputunity for the ordianry person to feel like a celebrity, where your every move is documented and commented on.

This is a fantastic description of what facebook is. Rep if you agree......

Joking, obviously.

[balloon_parade]

I find the whole concept strange. It's weird how you can add a friend and they can know everything about you, where you worked, where you've been on holiday, your family members, what your exes look like, who they are, everything, it's a kind of a creepy stalker heaven, especially now when you can check in to places too. I didn't find it too bad but the timeline has really changed things as it's so easy to access whichever time period you want. It's also massively creepy when someone dies and they still have a facebook account, you can have access to the last few days of their lives and people post RIP on their walls. Surreal.

Even with these concerns I would say I'm a regular user as I, like many others on this thread have friends up and down the country I'd like to stay in touch with. I've overcome my issues by being quite picky with my friends, having a limited profile group and having a cull every few months or so.

[Skill]

Do you know what annoys me. When people ask me for my FB and I say I dom't have a FB account. They look at me like I'm weird. There doesn't even seem to be a valid excuse for not having one without seeming like a snob to them! It's especially bad with girls I've met who are like ' oh let me add you on FB '. Any ideas how best to excuse it and not seem like a loser to these shallow girls?

[079]

(Original post by Skill)
Do you know what annoys me. When people ask me for my FB and I say I dom't have a FB account. They look at me like I'm weird. There doesn't even seem to be a valid excuse for not having one without seeming like a snob to them! It's especially bad with girls I've met who are like ' oh let me add you on FB '. Any ideas how best to excuse it and not seem like a loser to these shallow girls?

This has happened to me a few times, it is as if its a default thing to have, as though everyone "should" have a fb..
I deactivated mine and since then a few have asked me for it, I always reply with something along the lines of "I dont use facebook anymore, waste of time" (which it is)

You're not gonna seem a loser, they'll just look ignorant

[hvcxxx]

It's important not to be dependant on FB. It's useful when organising events/ keeping in touch with those you don't see that often through sharing photos and chatting. When you're older you want to look back at the good times, not the times you spent profile stalking and trying to upload random photos. I think the OP is very sensible.


This was posted from The Student Room's iPod app

[Supah Hot Fire]

(Original post by 079)
This has happened to me a few times, it is as if its a default thing to have, as though everyone "should" have a fb..
I deactivated mine and since then a few have asked me for it, I always reply with something along the lines of "I dont use facebook anymore, waste of time" (which it is)

You're not gonna seem a loser, they'll just look ignorant

lol ikr, one group of my friends are always dependent on fb, twitter etc. and claim you're anti-social for not having fb. But I have another group of friends where a few don't have fb so it's not as awkward.

[ufo2012]

(Original post by Skill)
Do you know what annoys me. When people ask me for my FB and I say I dom't have a FB account. They look at me like I'm weird. There doesn't even seem to be a valid excuse for not having one without seeming like a snob to them! It's especially bad with girls I've met who are like ' oh let me add you on FB '. Any ideas how best to excuse it and not seem like a loser to these shallow girls?

Don't know why you would want to associate with these kind of people since you already identified them as 'shallow'.

Just be completely calm and tell them how weird you find the obsession with everyone having facebook and if you must, then explain how shallow you find it and that is probably why they are on it

[f1mad]

To be fair, the only real benefit of Facebook is the 'events' feature.

The rest is complete bull ****.

[EcclesRose]

After 4 months of taking a break from all forms of social networking, I decided to rejoin Facebook, after coming to the conclusion it's actually not a bad thing to have a Facebook account.

I think Facebook is similar to many things in life - you can use it for either good or bad. I plan to use it as a method of keeping in touch with people, especially as I'm heading to university in September. But there is the issue that it is very easy to become dependant on Facebook - I'm going to use the next 2 weeks as a way of testing that idea for myself and to see if I really do become addicted in the way I was before I left Facebook the first time.

[MarshyJ7792]

(Original post by ufo2012)
The same people who complained about the internet may not be the same characters complaining about FB. The internet can be used in many more ways than just socially.

But facebook is more than a social outlet. It is used for so much more now which is why it has become such the significant property that it is. Gaming, advertising, news, etc, etc... There are people that go on facebook who dont even take a look at the social functions.

On the whole, facebook is a part of every day life, whether someone accepts it or not. There are always a minority of people who dont embrace every modern function, for example there are just as many people who dont have, dont want, and feel there is no need for a mobile phone. Yet there is no arguement that the mobile phone is not a part of every day life.

Frankly, if people thought facebook was intrusive before, now it is floating in the stock market, they can only get bigger and bigger.

[ufo2012]

(Original post by MarshyJ7792)
On the whole, facebook is a part of every day life, whether someone accepts it or not. There are always a minority of people who dont embrace every modern function, for example there are just as many people who dont have, dont want, and feel there is no need for a mobile phone. Yet there is no arguement that the mobile phone is not a part of every day life.

Frankly, if people thought facebook was intrusive before, now it is floating in the stock market, they can only get bigger and bigger.

I think we have covered this ground already. Facebook is NOT a part of everyday life to everyone. To some it may be yes, but those some people are not everyone.

Again, you can argue the mobile phone is not a part of every day life - for some people it is just not necessary and is more of a hindrance.

All this BS has come from this "always on" attitude, which is purely a modern phenomena, but I for one don't buy into it. You don't have to be available at every moment of the day or every time the phone rings. Sometimes you are just busy and will get back to people later.

And there is no need for taking work home, there is enough to do during work time without mixing work and your free time (getting off-topic here but that is associated with the "always on" BS).

I remember reading an article somewhere that said we would actually be much more productive if we weren't "always on" because these things are not actually improving workload.

And so back to the main issue... although people may find it 'intrusive', it doesn't have to be. Stay off it altogether or keep usage to a minimum. If people ask to add you but you don't use or hardly use it at all, say so and don't be ashamed to tell them you think it's a bunch of ****.

If you do use it, be sure that even while you are busy building your profile, it is busy profiling you.

[zKlown]

Can't remember the last time I actually posted a status.

I just generally look at a few of my interest pages, comment on friends statuses and leave a few videos I found interesting lol.

I've already stated this, but there seems to be an increasing amount of people uploading pictures of food. I can't understand this. Can anyone explain why one might do this?