why i hate facebook

[keryx]

The other day, Dr. S. posted a fun little video about the millennial whoop. I love this aspect of user-created media, where people spend time to make something thoughtful based on a seemingly small aspect of the culture. 

One of his friends dismissed it out of hand, as "banal" or "insufferable" or somesuch. 

It takes so much work, so much love to build something, and Facebook tends to encourage little but tear-downs. There are exceptions. Some of my acquaintances and friends have insightful followings who can expand my view of a topic with their comments. Others share things that make me want to construct costumes of mirrors and strands of tinsel. In general, though, Facebook is mostly not what I love about the internets. It's interesting to see what people share purely from a finger-on-the-pulse perspective, but I suspect that it may be making me feel a bit more powerless. 

Which is part of why I'm back to writing and reading here [here being Dreamwidth and Livejournal]. I may well end up tired of talking to myself, but I'm hopeful. 

Curious how other people interact with social media sites in ways that you find inspiring, empowering... or just interesting. Care to share?

Comments

[baucis]

Facebook strikes me a s a place to be seen and see rather than to communicate. Like a shopping mall, rather than a cozy coffee shop? And some people, when they go looking around, live onl y for the takedown. I agree, it is no fun. But LJ/DW seems to cut back on the looky-loo stuff because, for starters, it is text rather than visually based.

[keryx]

The shopping mall analogy fits FB awfully well - not the ads themselves, but the feeling of sharing something to entertain or impress, to choose from thousands of options of things to pay attention to, to sell people on a view of the world, etc. I certainly participate in that - I've found myself mostly sharing things that I think people need/want to read/see.