Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Why do people post such personal stuff on Facebook?

I'm a member of the Facebook community and I do post silliness there quite often. However, I am astounded by the number of people who post such personal information. They are upset with friends. They put it out there for the world to see. Well, at the very least, for all their friends to see. They are upset with their fellow employees, well, by all means, post it on f/b!

I have a 'friends only' privacy setting and have had no issues. And, golly, if I'm mad at someone in my family, I'll pick up the phone and tell them what is bugging me before I'll put it out there for my entire friends' list to see. How can you mend a fence later on? Do these people think beyond the moment???

Yesterday, I saw a posting where the guy is cussing out someone who was simply teasing him. His post simply showed the world that he had anger management issues and not the brightest bulb in the chandelier. Well, I guess that is only my opinion. But have I ever been known to be wrong? (oops...a little humor sneaks in!)

This post is read by everyone on his friends' list, and depending on his privacy setting, could be read by friends of friends, etc. Do folks really want such information spreading like wildfire?? And now that's it out there for everyone to read, how do you mend your relationship?

When I read about all these privacy issues people are having, I keep wondering why they put out such drama for the world to read? Am I out of touch here? Don't you have a responsibility to yourself to keep some things private? Why is the world always at fault if you tell every sordid detail of your life to F/B? Do you really think the entire community cares if you have minor health issues? Major ones, we care...little aches and pains, nope...buck up and live life.

What do I post on F/B? I shamelessly beg for anyone to send me WI Cheese! I ride my pink bike almost daily! I see turtles, snakes, gators. I love my family! Gee, that is certainly stuff you didn't know about me! Oh and did I forget to say that I'm a happy person?

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

There are some people that will post more on facebook than they will tell their priest in confession.

Why Not? said...

I might be one that posts a little too much.. but I mostly like sharing something funny the girls did, mostly because I know my family and friends would get a kick out of it.. I will congratulate people, or yes maybe even tell of my little aches and pains or lack of sleep the night before.. (I know completely unnecessary)

I would never though talk crap of people just because I know it will get around and that's just high school drama I didn't want a part of in high school and definitely don't want to be a part of when I'm an "adult"

I guess part of my issue is that I live in a very isolate little town where even after so many years do not have many friends, my family and support system is quite a ways a way and FB is the easiest way to communicate (especially when I have to take into consideration the time difference). I too only have a friends only setting set but should maybe look over my friends list as many of them are just old classmates and not really friends..

I think a lot of people look for someone to validate their feelings.. or maybe it's just a passive aggressive issue.. They know it will get around and this way they are saying what they want to say to the person without actually have to stand up and say it to their face.

Beejay said...

Why Not? You do not post too much information....LOL....It's the drama that I just don't get at all! And it's not your occasional remark about an ache or pain, it's those women (and, yes, they are basically women) who choose to share their consistent, daily aches. Same people day in and day out. Same complaints day in and day out. LOL.

Of course, then, I do 'pedal, pedal, pedal' almost daily. And, yes, the world knows I have a pink coaster bike!

kkdither said...

So now we know what you had for dinner and what time you went to bed and what stores you shop at and who you had cocktails with last night and what plays/concerts/family get-togethers you attended.... the list goes on and on. Do we really need to know all of this? Do we want to know when our friends go to bed or what they are eating????

What continuously worries me are the teens who post too much or proud, well-meaning parents who post too much information about their small children: what schools they attend, what their schedules are, the identifying pictures.. Any perv can use that information to their sorted benefit.

I really think Facebook and Twitter will start to go away after awhile or morph into something else. People are getting bored and tired of the diva...red carpet-ish type of behavior by many who post every trivial event of their lives.

hale-bopp said...

Social media may become a part of my job if you can believe that. Then I would REALLY have to think about what I post (although I would be doing it from different accounts than my personal one that many of you see).

I have a friends only sharing. You can dig down and make custom settings to block certain individuals from seeing certain items. For example, I could make a group of "former students" and, if I didn't want my former students to see a post, I could block just them and let everyone else see it.

My niece posted that she had a boyfriend last night. This morning she posts that its not anyone's business who she's dating. The folly of youth.

Personally, I post what amuses me. It can be absurd, obscure, sciency, occasionally political or atheistic, and don't forget the ongoing satirical series "Why does he hate America so much?" (Next installment will be late Friday/early Saturday...see if you can guess in conjunction with what event in advance!) Sometimes, I know only one or two of my friends will understand what I am saying and take great amusement in watching others try and figure it out.

Beejay said...

kk, I do know I have become much more selective on what I put out there...I also know each and everyone of my friends personally...I have blocked specific individuals both on facebook and at each on my e-mail accts.

As f/b grows so do the precautions one must take to protect what little privacy we have left. You can limit what folks can see of your profile. We all need to use the filters available to us and keep checking to see what f/b is trying to slip past us.

drewzepmeister said...

As an avid Facebooker myself, I take necessary precautions. I have friends only settings and only allow those I trust in it. My purpose of Facebook is to have fun and socialize. I wouldn't dream of starting any drama.

Anonymous said...

"As an avid Facebooker myself, I take necessary precautions." I almost busted out laughing there Drew. I thought your next line was going to be "I always wear a ....." (you get the idea).

Beejay said...

Oh boy...here we go...LOL...I think you hit it on the head (no pun intended)with your first comment, Logjam. Some folks do post more than they would tell their priest in confession or their spouse! I do find that amusing.

But there are folks out there that I don't want to know when I will be away from home; when Grandma will be alone. So I protect that by not putting it out there. Sure, I have them blocked, but actually what does that mean?

Put only out there what you don't mind the world knowing!