Is Facebook getting more pathological?

Hi. I've had this on my mind for a while because I live in an isolated area so most times my only way to have contact with people outside my dysfunctional family is through social media with Facebook being the only account I use regularly. But in recent years, the things I see on Facebook makes me not want to participate except to use it to maintain the business page and to avoid losing contact with old friends. I just wondered if some others feel the same way and how you deal with the direction the social atmosphere seems to be heading

The thing that bothers me is that more and more people feel compelled to share every moment of their lives even during a crisis. I know this is not news to anyone, but I didn't expect this trend of emotional vampirism and shallow attention seeking to appear in my former close friends and people I think of as intelligent. Someone's family member has a medical emergency and the person who is not sick takes a photo at the hospital and posts it immediately to get attention. My childhood best friend posts transcripts of every conversation she has with an unreasonable person with the accents and speech quirks of the other person emphasized by obnoxious spelling. The other day, I saw someone I usually like take a selfie of themselves crying at the airport to get people to fawn on them. I wouldn't be surprised if normal folks start posting daily photos of their poop to get sympathy or congratulations. The atmosphere just feels increasingly unwholesome.

I used to love Facebook because it allowed me to keep in touch with relatives in other countries and old friends who live far away. It used to be more about posting crafts you made, food you cooked, interesting sights or animals you see in your garden, sharing good news and the occasional vent. It seems social media has grown from small talk type of relationships to the point of an intimate relationship with everyone who is willing to friend you. Instead of sharing your pet's occasional cute moments or odd antics, the whole world has to get a photo announcement every time your dog goes on the same walk or you cat is taking a nap. Something feels wrong about this and I feel guilty if I don't like posts of people I used to interact with a lot. And I'm feeling isolated because people I used to be close to seem to interpret my decreasing activity as lack of support or a snub.

Sorry if this sounds like a rant. I'm actually feeling a bit dejected because of trouble at home and I have some social anxiety so it can worry me a lot if I can't decide whether to like an unappetizing post from an old friend. If anyone wants to share an opinion about current social media and how to participate or react to people you like seeming more and more attention-seeking or narcissistic, I would be very interested. And tips on how or whether to interact or would be helpful as I am becoming more and more of a hermit.

I have 2 people on my Facebook who are downright negative attention seekers. They also fake medical problems and are constantly posting stuff about them being in the hospitals both psych and medical and posting pictures of their medicines and saying stuff like “hey just got out of the state hospital.” Meanwhile I am the complete opposite and most of the things I post are just cat pictures and memes. And stuff about new foods coming out. But I did post I was having a sleep study the other day but that was the first private thing I’ve posted in a very long time and in the same post I explained how my cat wasn’t doing well. I haven’t posted any updates about it since. It seems like people are using Facebook as a diary these days.

I've been on Facebook for almost 15 years, because it started up when I was in college. I think I joined in spring 2005. Honestly, I liked it much better when it was just college students, because I could share stuff I don't feel comfortable talking about with my relatives. Now, because everyone I know is on there, I feel like I don't really want them to know what's really going on with me. But it seems that I am in the minority, because you are right. A lot of people share very personal details of their lives. I don't like how political it's become either.

I don't know if this is a solution, but I just don't Facebook that often and rarely like or comment on people's posts. I check it occasionally, because sometimes my friends will use it to invite me to an event. And I use messenger. I also stopped wishing people happy birthday. I used to wish everyone, even those I hardly know, but it started seeming fake, so I stopped.

I only joined FB 3 years ago, for similar reasons to you. I've deleted/ never had Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, LinkedIn and whatever else there is. I'm also quite socially isolated, as a carer for my mother, although I do have a motorbike as a hobby, which gets me out. And I no longer work. I've seen the same thing and just put people on mute so they stay friends but I don't see their drama. Some destructive people I've blocked. If anyone asks whether I saw something on FB, I say I've been involved with some of the social groups I belong to on there, so haven't checked my timeline feed or messages. Or I've been following a recipe on YouTube. Then I turn the conversation round to their issue and the subject changes soon enough. Which is when I zone out. So I can stay sociable but not get dragged in too much.

I think Facebook and many other forms of social media are annoying and a waste of my time. When I see people I haven’t seen in a while I’m surprised how they often don’t look much like their Facebook pictures. I feel frustrated when people vent to me about something and then post all over Facebook like their life is a perfect storybook fairy tale. It feels as though I have wasted my time even bothering to listen to them and now I don’t want to listen to people vent anymore. My relationships with people seem to be more distant and superficial than ever.

I do like and follow some of the private groups I’m in on Facebook but even some of those have been full of people just looking for attention lately. I have started coming here to PC more than Facebook because I am looking for more meaningful connections with people and I won’t find it on Facebook. I’m disappointed that I haven’t been finding it in real life lately either.

I don't know if anyone actually professes to "like" Facebook anymore. If you came down to the root of it, I think people's motivations would be more superficial than ever. Because Facebook caters to those who are pathologically drawn to attention. And those who are not like that do not use Facebook, or use it in a limited fashion.

Personally, I use it for the messenger feature. That's it. Even that is stupid sometimes. But I don't want to completely lose touch with some friends from back home. I really don't care what they're up to on the day-to-day though. I would rather just get their phone number so I can contact them when I get back home. That may sound harsh, but I couldn't care less if my friend from back home, even though he is my friend, went to a party or something the other night. Kind of a nonsensical thing to post. I think all discourse on Facebook is trending towards pathology. I've said this for years. There is nothing that I could possibly post that would convince anyone of anything. So, therefore, political posts are out. There is nothing emotional or private I want to share with everyone on my list of friends. So, those kinds of posts are out. There is nothing I care about enough to share it on Facebook. So, those kinds of posts are out. It's kind of like a void of meaninglessness, if you ask me. I like the internet, but social media is one of my least favorite things about it.

I personally LOVE Facebook. If a particular person was constantly doing things that really bothered me I’d just block them or just scroll right past there stuff.

When it comes down to it I think we ALL know that people want to post whatever good is going on there life.... personally I might take 30 selfies to find one I like enough to post for my profile.

If a friend posted a selfie looked upset I’d likely reach out to see if I can help them.. maybe that person just needs to know they are not alone

I have a lot of friends that are passionate about some things that I don’t care for so I scroll right by.

I think if Facebook is a negative in your life then you have lots of options. You physically can just scroll past anyone’s post you don’t like , you can block and unfriend people. Or just take a break from going on it at all.

Facebook is just a part of my daily life. I have dozens of pages I follow from friends , family , actors, tv shows, movies , cooking and the list goes on and on. It’s free entertainment for me

Maybe taking a total break for a while would be helpful to you

Facebook, Linkedin, tweet'er, and whatnot. I used to be on G+ but thats now away with the fairies. I do have a facebook page but hardly ever used it ditto Link'tin. I am just not all that much of a social networker. One thing that I do find interesting is pathological behavior and related studies. I do not, however, tend to take what people post on networks too seriously as there is often a tendency for people to be attention grabbers. It's not always a bad thing but been mislead can often lead to unintentional consequences.

I don't include sites like PC among the traditional social media sites because they clearly provide huge value and that is undisputed. That said, I have refused to join FB and every other social media platform since their inception. I personally believe they are doing tremendous harm to our culture and to people individually, people who spend massive amounts of precious time worrying about what shallow crisis is happening on their Instagram or FB or whatever when they could be spending time and energy interacting with actual humans and improving their real social skills, learning how to interact with and in the actual world. Deal with real issues. Social media has created a fake universe with its own shallow priorities and values, priorities and values that do not, in my opinion, have much use or value in the real, actual world. I realize and acknowledge that I am in the extreme minority on this, but this is how I feel. Apologies to everyone who feels they get a lot from social media. Not trying to be rude here. I just think these sites do a lot of harm and no one ever seems to talk about this. Oh well, to each her own.

After much hate postings from people I had no idea who, I shut down my Facebook except just for family. Undeniably there are nutters out there and many seem to despise professionals. This year I reported several, so yes - I believe this social media is fast become pathological. Alright for others; just not for me.

I also stopped posting the birthday wishes too. You don't find any negative result from not participating? I guess it's because everyone I was ever close to lives far away and seems to have forgotten me once I stopped doing the Facebook thing for a few years.

I'm in a similar situation too, not being able to get out much and working from home. Thanks for sharing, because it makes me feel less like people will think I'm weird. One problem is that I haven't really met any like-minded people since finishing college. I'm not interested in going to the movies or bars or parties. Now my life is too crazy to go out for fun. My only social life consists of being pursued by men 20+ years older than me for some reason (does that happen to everyone?) I suppose I must find a way to socialize outside of the internet but I really don't know how with my busy work schedule and obligations at home.

That's the bit I got stuck on the other day. I felt that the crying selfie wasn't genuine, but that an old friend wanted attention. I guess it doesn't cost me anything to like people's posts if I think they need support. Thanks for sharing your point of view.