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Study: Staying off Facebook can make you happier

qz.com

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Re: Study: Staying off Facebook can make you happier

#131

Post by kagamine »

tim333 wrote: post #129
kagamine wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't just start feeling down but I get angry at the BS on FB. I have a neighbor who always does the "my life is so great!" spin on FB, but living in the same street we see more of the reality than maybe some other people. I can't be on FB because it would mean calling people like her out on their BS, she is ugly (sorry but she just is by anyone's standards), her children are awful spoiled bitches, her constant pos…

Clicking on their profile and downgrading from 'friend' to 'acquaintance' I find helps a lot. You then hardly see their stuff. I've had to do that for four annoying people (far right politics, topless pics, fascist propaganda etc...) and I don't think I've seen any of them in my feed since.

Tbh, I haven't been on FB since I abandoned my account in about 2010 so I'm unaware of these new features like "aquaintance", I thought everyone had the same status of friend. I'm more worried about FB tracking and privacy, I have banned my SO from opening FB on my computer, not that does much on a shared IP.

Re: Study: Staying off Facebook can make you happier

#132

Post by mrvir »

untog wrote: post #25

Agh, this thread is just full of people boasting about their immunity to interest in Facebook. Congratulations, you're fantastic, oh that we could all be as enlightened as you. Personally, I find that Facebook has become my address book - while I still text people I see every day, Messenger group chats are often used instead. Plus the voice and video calls have been a great way to keep up with people further afield.…

I admit the convenience of Facebook. I use it.

But voluntarily giving your contact list and location info, and passing your private conversations via a for-profit data mining machine seems, in principle, not very enlightened.

One day some of that data is going to leak. It's bound to happen.

Re: Study: Staying off Facebook can make you happier

#133

Post by sotojuan »

maskedinvader wrote: post #68
sotojuan wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

http://messenger.com/ The best thing Facebook ever did was separate the useful messenger from the terrible main site.

I am not so sure that was the most useful, I sure liked the main site chat to work on mobile even if I didn't want another app (messenger to be installed). Yeah i'm one of those few who prefer simple single app experience. I prefer if companies could try keep things a little more backward compatible. /rant

I agree with you. It must have been annoying for people who use the site and messenger. I meant I like that they can act as two separate things.

Re: Study: Staying off Facebook can make you happier

#134

Post by brickmort »

alexandrerond wrote: post #125
brickmort wrote: post #2

I deleted my Facebook account after realizing that every time I would go on it, the clickbait and mindless minutia would irritate me more than entertain me. between the advertisements, there would be 'you'll never guess what happens next!' posts, then political propaganda, then children/marriage updates on people I hadn't interacted with in years. At a certain point, I realized that it wasn't even fun to me anymore,…

Thank you anon for updating us in the state of your growing family, that your niece does ballet and that your nephew goes to kindergarten. You may want to rejoin and put this on FB, where someone might be interested :)

hahahah :)

Re: Study: Staying off Facebook can make you happier

#135

Post by neogodless »

It's a sort of drug, isn't it? I went perhaps 6 months without Facebook a few years ago, and I was very happy. I went to less social events, which were actually mostly events where I drank to feel more socially adept. I did not really miss those events. I was also working on a side project regularly. I created a Facebook Page and new account to try to spread the word of my side project with people I knew... and I ended up going down the rabbit hole. I haven't really been able to leave it, and I never did make any more progress on that side project.

Re: Study: Staying off Facebook can make you happier

#136

Post by cortesoft »

sridca wrote: post #70
untog wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

(This is off topic but) there's probably something fascinating to be studied about it. The assumption I've heard a number of people make is that their anti-socialness means that they read more, code more, and as such it's actually a positive quality that elevates them above others. Even as someone who can be antisocial themselves, I think it's a load of bunk, and it's sort of interesting to see human interaction bein…

> [...] their anti-socialness means [...] To be fair he said "lack of desire for lots of social interaction" -- with emphasis on the word "lots" -- and not "lack of desire for social interaction". cortesoft may very well be needing social interaction (inasmuch as Maslow's hierarchy of needs is fulfilled), just not lots.

Yep. Being at work all day gives me enough group social interaction. Then at home I just like to be alone with my wife. I am an introvert, so being out with people drains my energy. I like people, but only need it a bit.

Re: Study: Staying off Facebook can make you happier

#137

Post by cortesoft »

meric wrote: post #38
untog wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

(This is off topic but) there's probably something fascinating to be studied about it. The assumption I've heard a number of people make is that their anti-socialness means that they read more, code more, and as such it's actually a positive quality that elevates them above others. Even as someone who can be antisocial themselves, I think it's a load of bunk, and it's sort of interesting to see human interaction bein…

human interaction being dismissed as frivolous. I'm not sure it's entirely frivolous... http://health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/brain-and...

I think the person you are replying to is agreeing that it is not frivolous, but is stating their amazement that so many people dismiss it as being such.

Re: Study: Staying off Facebook can make you happier

#138

Post by tdkl »

quacker wrote: post #54

Facebook was a great form of communication in high school and college, for events and meeting up with classmates and things. Afterwards, people drifted apart and it became kind of an empty place - hundreds of friends but only a handful I kept in touch with. As time went on and as my friends list stagnated, facebook kept me attached to the past ("that was so much fun, wasn't it?"). It covered some 7-8 years of my life…

> Afterwards, people drifted apart and it became kind of an empty place - hundreds of friends but only a handful I kept in touch with.

Welcome to real life as it always was. It's actually healthy to not keep touch with all the people you've ever known.

Re: Study: Staying off Facebook can make you happier

#139

Post by anonbanker »

467568985476 wrote: post #21
nommm-nommm wrote: post #11

The big reason why Facebook depresses me is extreme narcissism.

I think that might be an issue with your friends, not Facebook. I improved my facebook by liking the pages of a bunch of cute animals. Now it's basically an instant messaging client that comes with a stream of puppies and kittens. I almost never see humans unless I go to their pages intentionally!

this might be the best solution, if just for one's mental health.

Re: Study: Staying off Facebook can make you happier

#140

Post by nommm-nommm »

lazzlazzlazz wrote: post #16
nommm-nommm wrote: post #11

The big reason why Facebook depresses me is extreme narcissism.

Unfollow those people and engage more closely with those who enrich your life.

I have a core group of about 6 people one facebook I care about.

Unfortunately some of them are very narcissistic online and one baits with political bullshit. All are very pleasant to hang out with in real life. None do that kind of shit in real life.

The internet can bring out the worst in people.

I basically go on there once a week or once every two weeks to catch up on the "news" or if I get a message from someone (usually extended family, I have a lot) or an event invite. Unfortunately the narcissism is prominent because its "like" and "comment" bait. :| You could say these people aren't really my friends but, whatever, they like to use facebook to announce things (new job) because its easier than messaging everyone directly. Its also nice to get event invites from people you don't know very well who may otherwise not invite you because they don't know your phone number. Those are opportunities to make new friends. The barrier to getting to know someone better is low. That's nice.

Over the years we've spread out geographically so I can't see them face to face very often but I do as much as I can. (every few months)

Its easy to say only engage people who "enrich your life" in all aspects of it and are 100% perfect but humans are not perfect and facebook caters to a deep human need for attention/group acceptance. I also believe that surrounding yourself with people exactly like you in every way isn't very healthy. There's a lot of people that I don't like at all and I avoid if possible but for the people I do like I tolerate the differences we may have.

I don't have a use for pages or whatever they call them or anything like that.

I could get rid of my facebook but its alright for the amount I use but I couldn't stand being on that shit every day.

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