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Social media is it just me?

(61 Posts)
Judy54 Sun 28-Jun-20 13:52:47

It seems as though I am in the minority by not using or having any interest in social media. Gransnet is the only social forum I am on and yes sometimes there can be nasty comments but not in the same league as the trolling on sites like facebook. Indeed I know people who have stopped using facebook and other similar sites because of the vile comments they have received. I certainly have no intention of joining any such forums now or in the foreseeable future. Does anyone else feel like thi?

maytime2 Sun 28-Jun-20 13:56:29

Yes Judy you have the same sentiments as me. I also only post on Gransnet and feel that Facebook can be an intrusive force in peoples' lives. I would never use it.

tanith Sun 28-Jun-20 14:08:13

No I don’t, I use FB and being fully aware of the dangers only post to family and friends to keep in touch with them. We have a family WhatsApp group it’s private to us and had no negative things happen.
If you are aware and use privacy settings correctly there is nothing to fear.

Starblaze Sun 28-Jun-20 14:15:38

I've had family members be cruel to me on Facebook but now I just keep it to people I want regular happy contact with. Try to avoid any erm, arguable subjects. It's OK for me that way. Don't look very often though.

Smileless2012 Sun 28-Jun-20 14:16:08

I don't use FB but Mr. S. does and his is open to family on friends on request. GN is the only forum I use and even on here the nastiness can be quite shocking.

BlueSky Sun 28-Jun-20 14:16:41

Agree with Tanith. Only post what you don't mind people knowing. Fb has been a lifeline for a lot of lonely people.

kittylester Sun 28-Jun-20 14:25:35

I agree with tanith too!

Madgran77 Sun 28-Jun-20 14:34:18

I like FB for keeping gentle contact with wider family who I dont see very often and also with ex colleagues.

Grannynannywanny Sun 28-Jun-20 14:35:37

I use WhatsApp for family and close friends and enjoy a read on GN. But I don’t use FB. Several years ago I accepted an invitation by a friend to join FB. A couple of days was more than enough. I just found it cringeworthy some of the piffle some folk think is relevant enough to post.

Also, it seems to be a haven for lurkers and nosey Parkers. I have several relatives and friends who have a FB account and never ever post but know everything about everybody. It makes me uncomfortable.

BlueBelle Sun 28-Jun-20 14:41:28

No I don’t feel like that judy
I ve never ever had any trolling on fb and I ve been on it about twelve years
I use it every day for keeping in touch with friends and family I use it for local information of shops, crime, missing people and animals Weather etc I use it for buying and selling,
I belong to.a local gardening group on fb I have set up two local pages one for helping refugees and one for my old school

It’s been wonderful for some local people during lockdown with people helping people and groups set up to shop or hand out free food parcels or do odd jobs
It’s always people who don’t go on fb who think it’s terrible
If you have your privacy setting correct it is as safe as Gransnet perhaps safer I ve never found any of my fb posts in the daily mail as some Gransnet users have

Sar53 Sun 28-Jun-20 14:50:00

I also use Facebook but with privacy settings. I'm part of a lot of groups that interest me. I also use WhatsApp to keep in touch with family and friends.
I've never had nasty comments made about me and I very really post anything and if I find something I don't like I just skim past it.
Facebook, WhatsApp and Gransnet are a lifeline for lonely, isolated people.

TheFrugalPiggy Sun 28-Jun-20 14:50:58

I flirted with FB for about a year about 10 years ago 15 years ago but didn't feel it was "me". I have no desire to go back on there. I use WhatsApp and subscribe to several YouTube channels as a way of connecting with the world - oh and GN of course.

MiniMoon Sun 28-Jun-20 14:53:56

I have a Facebook account although I only have a very small and select group of friends. I signed up so that I could join the Ninja Foodi Facebook group, to get hints and tips on using the foodi, and recipes from other users. I also joined our town's local group.
I make sure that my privacy settings are all up to date too.
Gransnet has been a good place for support and advice, and I pop in every day to see what you are all talking about.

moggie57 Sun 28-Jun-20 14:55:17

i havent had any problems thsat i cant deal with ,there is a delete button .some comments sound nasty/are nasty .but again you can block or delete .i have no problem having my circle of friends worldwide its easier to keep in touch...i'm not on there 24/7 . bad idea...but maybe 2-3 times a week...

TheFrugalPiggy Sun 28-Jun-20 14:55:44

Garbled message as DH kept on asking me questions! Meant to say 10 or 15 years ago.confused

Chewbacca Sun 28-Jun-20 15:05:52

If you set your privacy settings to the highest level, so that only those that are close to you or those that you trust, can see your page, Facebook can be an excellent method of communication. I, personally, have never experienced trolling, nastiness or cruelty, ever on Facebook. I've had some good laughs though!

Kate1949 Sun 28-Jun-20 15:07:39

I've never been on Facebook or any of the others. Just Gransnet.

Callistemon Sun 28-Jun-20 15:19:36

I'm on FB and find it far less intimidating and much more pleasant than Gransnet!

EllanVannin Sun 28-Jun-20 15:24:47

I've never been on Facebook and the only other forum that I've ever been on is a crime one, which got quite heated and one which I frequent now and again if there's any up to date news about an on-going case.
Otherwise I don't bother with social media either.

SueDonim Sun 28-Jun-20 15:28:33

I’ve been on FB for more than ten years. I set my privacy levels high and only have ‘Friends’ who I know and that seems to keep any nastiness away.

It’s a great way to keep in touch with folk especially those who live a long way away (I’ve got very few local people on mine, because I can see them anyway) and it’s been a godsend for me to help my old mum during lockdown.

Like many things, social media can be used to suit your own purpose. smile

paddyanne Sun 28-Jun-20 15:46:44

I keep in touch with family on FB ,right across europe and America ,people I dont see regularly.They send me FB msgs with pictures and keep me up to date .I also have all my Independence friends on there so I get the times and dates of meetings and rallies and my SNP branch for monthly meetings..though they're online for now .I dont get trolled ,maybe because its just close friends and family I did get some horrible trolling and indecent stuff on Friends Reunited years ago and left the site because of it.I learned then not to put my photo on my profile to avoid men making suggestive remarks ..and worse .

Greenfinch Sun 28-Jun-20 16:30:12

I agree with the OP and find that Gransnet is enough for me . I have made some really good and supportive friends on here. I was on FB for quite a while but found that some people were saying things about their lives which were distorting the truth somewhat(idealising) or else quoting other posters( boring). I am lucky in that all of my family and most of my friends live locally and so I can have face to face contact or by phone. Others I email and that is enough for me.

sodapop Sun 28-Jun-20 17:05:23

I've had a bad experience with FB as well, I only use GN now and a family WhatsApp group.

lemongrove Sun 28-Jun-20 17:10:52

Am like you Judy as I really don’t need much social media in my life, I enjoy things without the need for it.
Apart from GN I used to belong to a gardening site and a book club site, but since joining those two clubs in real life, have let the online clubs drop.
GN is good for information and for some amusing chat and for some ‘robust’ debate.?

JackyB Sun 28-Jun-20 17:23:49

Neither I nor any of my DC use Facebook. I had to join WhatsApp because of various groups I needed to join, and keep in touch with DSs and DiLs with that although we would all prefer to use one of the other, non-FB messaging systems.

I have never looked at Facebook and only once followed a link there. I was immediately asked if I knew some people and it scared me stiff that of the 12 or so people listed, I did actually know about 10 of them.