Blatant showing off starting to get really tiresome/distasteful

Sometimes if someone is feeling low for whatever reason, it can make them feel worse to see others appearing to be doing or having all the things they would like to do or have. That's what is always said about young people and Social Media - they see airbrushed photos of friends looking great, and look at themselves and feel inadequate. Then they grow up and have children, and everyone else's baby is shown clean and smiley, reaching milestones way ahead of time, and they feel bad about their own parenting as their (perfectly normal and lovely) baby seems behind. Other people's husbands are shown taking their wives to fancy restaurants, buying jewellery, and later their children all get 'top' jobs and 'excellent' grades in exams.

What they don't see is all the times other people argue with their husbands, their babies having tantrums and their teenagers being truculent little grots. Nobody takes photos of that, do they?

It was the same when we had albums. Social Media just pushes other people's lives into our faces more, but we still just get edited highlights.

I use social media for business and only post under my business name. There isnt even a photo of me there. If my family were bragging on social media about their wonderful holidays or lifestyle I would be completely unaware of it. My grandmother always used to say "What the eye does not see the heart does not grieve over".

Germanshepherdsmum

I’m glad I’m not on FB!

I agree with the above my private life is just that.
I really don't understand why people become so upset about someone who has retired posting about their wonderful travels good luck to them.
People can get so jealous of others that they have to cover it up by saying things like it is crass, bragging, distasteful and more. I hate people who see other peoples good fortune as bragging.

Facebook fascinates me - there are people who document their lives in great detail - why do they think everyone needs to know!?

A friend of mine is like that. I simply say "That's nice". She's the one who makes herself look silly, not me.

Ignore it or block their posts.

If a friend of mine is delighted with something, I would always show enthusiasm and enjoy his or her pleasure in whatever it is, even if I don't care personally. I know nothing of cars, but manage to ask about the colour or features when someone gets a new one, or send a congratulatory text when my son's football team wins (on the rare occasions that the fact has come to my attention ).

I'm not particularly bothered about extravagant holidays, but again, wouldn't ignore, block or otherwise snub someone who was revelling in one if she was a friend or relative. It takes a second to click 'like' and maybe a minute to post a line or two saying how lovely it all looks. What does it cost to be generous of spirit?

Well said Doodledog

If it’s not for you it’s not for you I like FB I keep in touch with family and friends as much or as little as I want
No one holds you down and makes you see things
If someone annoys you you can block them
The people who say thank goodness I m not on it have probably never seen the interesting things, the local sites, the recommendations, the historical stuff, the nature groups or help someone out if asking or joined in a clean up or helped look for someone or something lost or joined a walk or, or, or.

Do I detect a touch of the green eye?
It certainly reads like it.

I just don't get why anyone posts anything about what they are doing. Who cares? If you are friends in real life, rather than online, you would know anyway. I would not be interested in seeing a photo of anyone's meal for example.

I’ll be honest, I’d love that life 😂😂😂😂😂

BlueBelle

If it’s not for you it’s not for you I like FB I keep in touch with family and friends as much or as little as I want
No one holds you down and makes you see things
If someone annoys you you can block them
The people who say thank goodness I m not on it have probably never seen the interesting things, the local sites, the recommendations, the historical stuff, the nature groups or help someone out if asking or joined in a clean up or helped look for someone or something lost or joined a walk or, or, or.

I love a bit of FB! I’m in groups that make me laugh, some groups that help with some conditions I have, I keep in touch with people I rarely get to see in person and sometimes I learn things! I’m a bit nosey so I don’t mind seeing photos of people’s trips etc!

We used to have a neighbour whose only conversation was boasting - he had just 'treated' himself to a new £8,000 watch for his birthday, had a guitar custom made even though he already had several even better guitars, just had a new camper van fitted out specially in a factory somewhere. I never knew what to say and used to start to panic I wouldn't get away from him and would have to listen to more and more boasts about stuff he had. He was basically a nice enough man but bored on about stuff he had spent money on.

People boast on and off social media. If this person were your 'real' life friend it would be much worse. As it is you can block her posts without unfriending her. I've done this with several people. I suspect others have done it with me too!

I'm in all sorts of interesting groups on Facebook. Posts and info from them make up the majority of my Facebook feed. If friends or family are on holiday they might post a few pics instead of sending postcards I suppose. I'm glad to hear they're having a good time and/or are in an interesting place.

Perhaps she won the Lottery.

Don't look if it upsets you.

It all seems a bit in your face and distasteful, given the fact that she knows most of her family are not very well off and her own kids are struggling to manage financially

That is between them and their mother and is really none of your business.

I respect that some people like Facebook. I know about the things Bluebelle has written, it's just that I do not like it and do not wish to engage in it.
That said I love whattsapp and I enjoy the photos my daughter and Grandson sends me.

Cossy exactly
Rafiagran no one is twisting your arm
I go on WhatsApp too and some people I get photos from are on WhatsApp and not FB but that doesn’t stop me liking both
I prefer FB as it’s so wide and so many different interesting groups to join in, whatever subject you can think of and I like all the local news even down to the weather

Either completely ignore Mrs Boastie or tell her what you really think .

It's incredibly sad that she has to prove herself when her family are suffering .

Recently , one of my oldest friends has started working for a wealthy couple and she is in total awe of them .
I hear about their fabulous house , cars , clothes and holidays .
From her comments , I'm not sure that their money is that honestly earned , as she's so ambiguous about their profession(s) .

One thing : despite needing a car to pick up their daughters from school and ballet they didn't offer any financial help when her car was stolen !

So it's all swank and she's still falling for it !

Good luck to them! I (mostly!) enjoy seeing other peoples pictures. We have family and friends all over the world and fb is a great way of keeping in touch.

While i agree that there are times when other peoples holiday/baby/party snaps get tiresome, at least on fb you can give a quick like and move on, rather than sit on their sofa for hours whilst getting a running commentary on each picture

I am with @Bluebelle, i belong to a few groups that I have learnt so much from.

If the OP's relatives are feeling 'spoilt/blessed', they don't, to me, immediately sound boastful, rather they are loving every minute and realise how fortunate they are to be doing what they are doing.

Esmay who says she 'has to prove herself'? That's only what the OP thinks.
In fact her comments say more about her.

Well, I get it.
It's a bit unkind to accuse the OP of jealousy. It's very complicated, the reaction. Glückschmerz. It means pain in another's happiness but it's a human emotion. If you feel low, inadequate or whatever, it feels challenging to see what appears to be bragging posts from people whose lives are apparently swimmingly wonderful. It can make you feel like a failure in comparison. It's a gutteral reaction and not something you can control. And no one likes feeling like that. What is needed is reassurance that you're ok, you're not a failure and you're ok as you are. So please - some compassion for the OP, not censure or ridicule or judgement.

I also mostly don’t mind seeing family and friends posts on Facebook. I don’t think most people come across as bragging. I do have one to two people who post obsessively about day to day life which is usually very boring. Another is a Vegan who posts every day things about her lifestyle, my nephew posts pictures of cars all the time, a friend has 26 grandchildren and great grandchildren and she posts dozens of photos a week. I don’t see any of it as bragging,
One thing that really annoys me though is a lady who has joined a group of us that go out for coffees or lunches always takes photos of us to post on her social media. I have told her a number of times I don’t want her to post pictures of me but she still does. Last time she got her phone out to take pictures I got up and left the table. I just think it incredibly rude.