Is this a rude thing to do?

Gosh, no, it’s not weird. Social media was created to share poster’s content. Your son needs to understand the purpose of sites like this.

You didn’t say how old your son is.

The other thing about social media sites is - it exposes differing viewpoints. It could be seen as a barometer of social trends, politics, cultural changes. In a few words… a platform of good or not so good, depending on what you believe or feel.

It’s normal to be curious.

I'm also checking out the old street directories from 40s and 50s as a friend told me they lived above her dad's shop.This had been a mystery ad the shop has a different name. Then it clicked. In the 40s her dad would have been young and living above the shop but not being the owner! It brings back memories as my mum used to shop there.

Babies cry. Parents with young children have a right to holiday. The judgement here is rubbish.

If the person didn't want us to look at his photos, he would have made them private, wither for the Chosen Few, or for his own eyes only - 'Only Me'.

biglouis

When I first moved in here one of my neighbours asked me my name, was I Miss or Mrs, and for my phone number. She did not volunteer her name which I considered very rude. And no, I did not tell her my phone number. I told her it was for my friends and family and not just any random person.

I later looked her up on the land registry website to find out her full name, and it gave me a lot more info about her - including the fact that she and her "husband" had different surnames. Thats what you call stalking.

Oh well done! I call it sleuthing haha

He's probably worried you're going to start checking out his friends. Teenage and adult kids can be very paranoid about their parents knowing anything about their social lives. My son scolded me once for having one of his friends on my friends list and I was able to truthfully tell him I had been friends with that person long before he had!

Not nosey.

Your son is very wise in not using social media. I joined FB many years ago and my late DD was mad. Her life was cyber security, visiting very senior personnel in international business and government organisations liaising on cyber security. Did she use social media, no, and her husband still doesn't.

Good heavens, if what you are doing Kirkcubbin is being nosey and rud. Then I am the champ. I often put the name of people I meet or remember in google and see what comes up.

I recently put the name of someone who came to view our house into google because although, he wasn't boasting or anything, he was talking about the house in relation to where they had been living before and what he had been doing. I found out that he was an interesting man with a successful career.

Dickens

I thought the whole idea of having a profile was that others could look at it and see as much or as little as you choose for them to see?

What's the point otherwise of 'advertising' yourself if no-one is going to look at it?

The person who posted the photographs presumably did so in order for others to look at them?

I think your son is quite wrong to say you were being nosey.

Agree totally, people who post photos on Facebook WANT to be seen, otherwise they would keep them private.

No not being nosey if they are putting it out there people will look

No you were not

No, you’re not being nosey. What a strange thing to say.

Facebook makes it clear that you can have a public or private profile within settings, as far as your own posts are concerned, so you are not being nosey at all.

That said that comes a point when 'cyberstalking ' by searching for every post and activity might seem a bit sinister, depending on the motive.

When I first moved in here one of my neighbours asked me my name, was I Miss or Mrs, and for my phone number. She did not volunteer her name which I considered very rude. And no, I did not tell her my phone number. I told her it was for my friends and family and not just any random person.

I later looked her up on the land registry website to find out her full name, and it gave me a lot more info about her - including the fact that she and her "husband" had different surnames. Thats what you call stalking.

If the profile was private, you wouldn't have been able to see it.
How absurd of your son, if you don't mind me saying so.
If people don't want things to be seen they should not put them on the internet!

Hi there
Profile are just that ..for others to look at 😀

I don't think you were being nosey at all. If it's on FB they want you to see it.

Short answer: No. It's 2024 - that's what people do.

I do this ALL the time haha.

I call it my FB stalking!

If people have “open” accounts I simply cannot see the issue.

I once worked with a very nice man who suddenly took his own life one evening after work. When I looked at his FB profile there was so much evidence on it that he had been severely depressed for many months. Sometimes, if we are unsure of someone/something and we check a profile, it can throw light on how we may need to tread carefully in a situation.

That’s what it’s there for isn’t it. You can have privacy and only allow friends to look at your site if you don’t want the world to look.

There is nothing nosy about looking at someone's social media. There are people who live their lives onlin. They project an image of their life as they would like it to be rather than what it actusally is. Nowadays employers automatically look up job applicants online to gain an impression of them. There are all kinds of government agencies who snoop online. So folks had best be careful what they put out there.

kircubbin2000

That's a relief to know. He doesn't do social media.

He doesn't do social media.

... that would explain his comment.

Point out to him that you didn't metaphorically peer through the individual's window - he put everything on display and drew back the curtains for you (or anyone else) to have a look!