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Before deleting my FB account, friends and family would post stuff non-stop all day long like any typical user, including photos, videos, live-stream, ect... Wh
by HoppedUpMenace 10y ago
Before deleting my FB account, friends and family would post stuff non-stop all day long like any typical user, including photos, videos, live-stream, ect... When it came to sharing news stories, friends and family would share the most BS and ridiculous news stories and information imaginable, like "weed cures cancer" or "FB will start charging soon!" or those "like" farm posts that had some stuff you'd probably only see on rotten.com (is that still a thing?) but because they were asking for prayers and such, it was given a pass and "liked".
Anyhow, its funny how stuff like that got the most shares and likes from friends and family while anything remotely related to reality and grounded in truth was always looked over, such as anything reported by any legitimate news agency. Basically, anything that was written by some random fake news website was the most shared news by FB friends and family and taken seriously as fact (I know cause of people's comments on shared posts) cause everyone on FB trusts their friends and family and they help each other to boost their narcissistic narratives and world views.
Anyhow, moral of the story is, when you got a huge following and you post like crazy the most personal stuff, people support you no matter what you say, especially if you're family. You can spread whatever rumor you want and everyone will be on board every single time because shared news is always true and FB friends are just as smart as you are, so you trust them.
- jasonkostempski 10y agoMaybe us quitters need to get back on FB and start posting nothing but links like this one to save the human race.
- yazbo_mcclure 10y agoI don't consider myself a quitter of Facebook but rather Free. Facebook is like eating cheesecake hn is graniac from Costco with articles tag help with my job. Facebook could just get me fired
- metaphorm 10y agopeople don't go on FB to get persuaded by reason and evidence. it is about in-group reinforcement, otherization of disliked out-groups, scandal and rumor, and most of all it is about instant gratification and distraction from the tedium of our daily lives. if you are aware enough to know how awful the FB environment is, and how much damage it does to your psyche, then you will quit. if you aren't aware enough to realize that then you will not be persuaded of such by someone badgering you in your news stream to be more skeptical, insightful, and reflective.
- HoppedUpMenace 10y agoWell said! Way better than my over extended rant trying to convey similar points.
- ams6110 10y agoNot sure it's really a matter of trust. People just like juicy, sensational stories, and stories that cater to their weaknesses. National Enquirer has been in business since long before Facebook.
- MrQuincle 10y agoIt might also be somehow that these social networks are not attractive to people in the audience who are critical of such stories. How long do you want to spend on a site debunking stuff? That would not be much fun. Moreover, what would be the effect? Ideally, people would adjust their news filters and start to critical think for themselves. I don't think I've the right educational credentials for that. :-)
- metaphorm 10y agoexcept National Inquirer was a 2 minute distraction while you stood in line waiting to pay for your groceries, whereas Facebook is a life-dominating addictive habit that displaces higher quality media consumption from the lives of its users.
- dexterdog 10y agoSome people actually buy that rag.
- HoppedUpMenace 10y agoYeah I've thought about that too, people are just being entertained by all the crazy stuff on FB like they would be with National Enquirer.