Do you feel punished

I think if people stop getting in touch - maybe they've got illness and will have one go at contacting them ( usually by email) and then give up. Interested to find others who are sceptical about Facebook! I decided to have nothing to do with it after being shown photographs of an acquaintance "cavorting" at a party!! All my four children and their families - except my eldest daughter love it! I am happy just using texts and email and we have a family Whats App which keeps us all in touch with photos etc - I love that!

I rarely use facebook- I'm not even 'friends' with family on there -and prefer more personal means to communication- email/text/phone and, mostly importantly, face to face!. I had to cut off one of my neighbours because she wanted to talk to me for hours into the early hours EVERY DAY so now just say a polite hello and the other side neighbour let me down very badly ( after a 30+ close friendship) by selling her house to people who were interested in buying mine ( I lost a property I wanted so was still looking for another) and not having the courtesy to tell me. She didn't even tell me her moving date until the night before when she said I should keep my cat locked it. I've had the last laugh though as my replacement neighbours are lovely and the old one is not happy in her new place!

gillybob
Don't be daft, of course you've got friends......us!

Maybe some of the people who have been suddenly dropped are so thick skinned that they really have no idea why this has happened to them. They are possibly bossy, demanding or spiteful; any attempt to contradict, argue, or try to get ones own view across often being met with 'haha don't be silly, I didn't mean you to take offence'. After putting up with this treatment for a while the only way out is the dreaded 'cut' just no other way of getting the message through.
.

'There's nowt so queer as folk'

Bin Facebook. I have been off of it for almost a year and how life has become a lot less negative.

Something I noticed that I was doing too was finding things to take pics of to post so that it seemed like I had this amazeballs life... to keep up with the rest. So now I'm fully aware that facebook is full of lies. It's not reality at all.

I so agree. I would never be in touch with distant relatives and friends in the way I am with it. Used sensibly it's a great tool

Depends on the circumstances. My DH died June last year, my SD has not been in touch since. That's not funny, it hurts.

It is the new 'manners', just as we have given up curtseying and bowing and exaggerated sweeps of the hat......we have moved on to this rather ridiculous culling of people, who we believe don't deserve us. FB is full of pithy comment about taking 'negativity' out of your life, because you are so special that you don't need it and other mind numbing philosophical jokes masquerading as wisdom.

Of course people never see themselves as negative or inenstitive.

I do cull friends in real life if they start taking liberties, and I tell them why.

It is all human nature and we just have to accept that is the case.

I don't understand Facebook

I don't have any friends and I'm not on Facebook so no problem.

There was thread recently on the similar subject of "ghosting" where I and others who have suffered from so-called "friends" suddenly dropping us without explanation.

It's a very cowardly thing to do as they "disappear" so as not to have to give an explanation It's as if they know that any explanation would sound ridiculous and make them appear petty and vindictive (which they usually are).

If someone doesn't want to speak to me anymore, I may feel sad about it but it's their loss.

I am being ignored by my three sisters , miss them very much but have to accept it.

I think this comes under the heading of 'people are strange'
And they certainly can be.

Nobody apart from all my family is that important in my life for me to worry about them not speaking to me I would certainly not loose any sleep about it,and as for FB I give it a wide berth

If it was someone I know well, I would feel puzzled and want to know the reason. Otherwise I would leave the person to it. It would be there problem, not mine. Anyway what they are looking for is an upset response from you. If by ignoring their childish behavior you show how untroubled you are by it, it rather spoils their 'fun'.

This has happened to me once. I was friends with a woman for several years, and frequently dropped everything to drive the 20miles to her house to sort out a problem for her. One day I met one of her former friends and she surprised me by saying "so you are the one who replaced me". When I asked her to explain she said this mutual friend would met someone, spend a couple of weeks telling everyone how wonderful they were and then drop one of her friends - as if she only had room for a certain number. After I had known her for a couple of years she suddenly started talking about a wonderful lady she had met, she wouldn't introduce us, a couple of weeks later she stopped contacting me. I tried to find out if I had done anything to upset her but she never replied! If someone upsets me, I tell them and talk it over. If I decide I no longer want someone in my life I tell them why!

FB posts have caused a lot of problems for me. I don't use social media at all but that doesn't stop people making adverse comments which are then passed on to me by others. I wish these keyboard warriors would have the courtesy to approach me directly with their problems.

I'm wondering what kind of people some of us have as 'friends' ?

I find FB a lovely, friendly place to visit, chat, catch up on those who live far away, have a laugh and see and post pictures. But then I'm careful about who I accept as a friend, only people I know and respect.

It is a weird reflection on our society is it not, that we subscribe to a social medium to connect with friends then go out of our way to NOT communicate as a "punishment" or are devastated when others ignore us.
Do we really have nothing better to do?
No wonder young people have such hang ups, I sometimes think we as well as they, need to get things in perspective.

You mention a neighbour not speaking to you. I have a neighbour who decides to go long periods of time and not speak, it bugs me, but I now just ignore the situation, but had to laugh, when we had put some cast iron garden furniture out on the path ready for an ebay collection, she knocked on the door and said, " I'll have that if you are getting rid of it!" As my Mum would have said 'cheeky chuff' lol.

Jane10 and Humbertbear I think that is very different to the 'blanking' that the OP is referring to.

Sometimes we do have to self preserve / give ourselves the space to work out our response.

My older sister and I haven't spoken for 9 months and , frankly, it's a relief. If she's not talking to me she can't suddenly start shouting at me, punished? More like reprieved.

Never happened to me - yet!

Does this happen to you a lot AlgeswifeVal ??