Why Facebook is a Joke (And various social media/smartphone insanity)

[MJ DeMarco]

The only reason I still use Facebook is to reach my audience. Otherwise, I wouldn't be on there.

Of course, it's a great advertising medium to reach millions. Another reason why I'm still there.

Other than that, I don't post much.

This pretty much sums up why -- it's one big carefully curated facade.

I fear for young folks who use Facebook / Instagram / et. al. as a gauge to compare their lives to others. Expectation and comparison is path to perpetual misery. If I spend one hour on Facebook, even I would end up feeling inadequate, not fit enough, not well-traveled enough, not successful enough, and not liked enough, blah blah.

Whats sad is that I am actually hearing that youngsters are making decisions based upon how certain activities will look when posted to social media. They're more concerned with having people *think* they're having fun than actually having it.

Be aware people.

 

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[jazb]

A kid died recently because he wanted to post the speedometer on his car going 100mph+

Let that sink in for a moment.

 

[1step]

A kid died recently because he wanted to post the speedometer on his car going 100mph+

Darwin

 

[ddall]

Lot's of hate for Facebook, but I fear many readers here have NO IDEA how tame that is compared to the onslaught of new social media, apps that most of you here if you are over 25 have likely never heard of. In my present experience Facebook has been abandoned by young people, however moms, aunts, etc, ( middle-elderly age women) live for Facebook . Young people CANNOT be reached via Facebook in terms of marketing. They are blind to it. But Instagram, wow, now you are playing with fire if you want to market to teens an 20 somethings. SkinnyTea anyone? Social proof is huge on this medium. Especially for girls. Anything targeting young women this is YOUR medium.

Talking about fastlane, I'll give people here a hint, you WANT to learn these new apps for business purposes. I know a younger guy related to my spouse's side of the family who has over a million followers on Vine. That is REACH. He is famous now to young people, and get paid tens of thousands to do a 5 second video wearing a simple product or talking about an app. Paid 1000's to retweet something. He get's approached by Microsoft, Justin Beiber, you name it. Blew up overnight by figuring out how to game Twitter followers, he learned the system and when Vine came out he started on it the first day.

But Vine, Instagram, are also 'old', there are newer apps that even younger generations are using, most marketers arnt on that level yet, older people are kept out and dont know about them, which is why the apps are cool. But there is serious untapped marketing potential in these areas. If you grow with the ecosystem, as my spouses friend did.

 

[Deleted21704]

Have you guys seen the video alleging Facebook fraud? It's rather convincing.

 

[Deleted20833]

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Saw this on Quora and had to post it...

 

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[MJ DeMarco]

How easy would it be to miss those brief moments in life when something spectacular happens, like a shooting star....or a dolphin jumping in the ocean…if you were too busy scrolling facebook, texting, or taking selfies?

Heck, with the girls on this video, I bet Tyrannosaurus Rex could have stomped by and they wouldn't have even noticed.

Not to mention what this shit is doing to our brain chemistry, dopamine receptors, addiction response, instant gratification-- we are treading down a road that I believe will have perilous consequences for the future.

 

[craig1928]

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Why experience something live and in 3D? When you can replay it flattened and in 2D?

We're becoming slaves to our smartphones, prostituting life's rich experiences for likes, comments, and social media shares.

The image saddens me.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

If you were a new entrepreneur, no product or service yet, what would you use social media for?

I absolutely would use it. Even with no product.

I would use it to build an audience, probably would start on YouTube and IG.

Once you have an audience, it's much easier to launch, assuming your audience matches your product/service.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Seriously, it's becoming a mental illness resulting in a generation of narcissists.

Does anyone talk anymore?

http://www.tmz.com/2015/10/01/mlb-announcer-sorority-girl-shaming-over-selfies-at-baseball-game/

 

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[MJ DeMarco]

 

[Sanj Modha]

Slowlaners live on social media. Fastlaners sell on social media.

Long may it continue.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

I never could get email marketing... I am subscribed to nothing myself and the last thing I want is someone to email me anything.

Projecting your personal feelings and biases to the marketplace is a great way to handicap your success.

Case in point: I hate pop-ups. I never give up my email. But ya know what? They work in the market. So I use them. My personal feelings are irrelevant.

 

[Kennypaul]

The only reason I still use Facebook is to reach my audience. Otherwise, I wouldn't be on there.

Of course, it's a great advertising medium to reach millions. Another reason why I'm still there.

Other than that, I don't post much.

This pretty much sums up why -- it's one big carefully curated facade.

I fear for young folks who use Facebook / Instagram / et. al. as a gauge to compare their lives to others. Expectation and comparison is path to perpetual misery. If I spend one hour on Facebook, even I would end up feeling inadequate, not fit enough, not well-traveled enough, not successful enough, and not liked enough, blah blah.

Whats sad is that I am actually hearing that youngsters are making decisions based upon how certain activities will look when posted to social media. They're more concerned with having people *think* they're having fun than actually having it.

Be aware people.

 

[jon.a]

Not too long ago there was this chick on my newsfeed talking about how she's pregnant again. Later she was posting about a tough "decision" she has to make. Then she posted about how she made the "decision" and feels good. I'm sure you guys know what that decision was.

Sloots love them some Facebook.

I'm guessin she's not gluing her knees together?

 

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[Sanj Modha]

Anyone who thinks Social Media has ruined lives needs to read The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A F*ck by Mark Manson.

In short - you have a choice. You always have a choice.

 

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[MMatt]

A few months back I stopped reading my news feed entirely. I use it only to get in contact with certain people, or check notifications. The only other time I use it would be for promotional/advertising purposes.

Reading the negative thoughts and comments of those I care about was affecting my own well being. People use facebook to gain sympathy from everyone else who supposedly "hates life". I don't need to be part of the whole "life sucks" movement. I no longer associate with people who think the store running out of their favorite ice cream flavor is a facebook worthy life crisis with several angry emoticons.

 

[SBS.95]

Wow. That video was F*cking great. For YEARS I have tried to explain why I don't use Facebook. And that video sums it all up better than I could ever put into words. That's it.

No log-ins in a year (lost someone's phone #.)
No profile picture changes in 3 years.
No status updates in 5 years.

F*ck Facebook. The only way I can ever see myself using it again is making a new account and adding 10-20 friends. That aunt from across the country. My close friend that no longer lives 5 minutes away. If only there was a portable phone that allowed me to contact those people at any time throughout the day.

I realize there are legitimate uses for Facebook. But this whole internet popularity contest is disgusting and turns me off of the website as a whole.

 

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[MJ DeMarco]

Lot's of hate for Facebook, but I fear many readers here have NO IDEA how tame that is compared to the onslaught of new social media, apps that most of you here if you are over 25 have likely never heard of. In my present experience Facebook has been abandoned by young people, however moms, aunts, etc, ( middle-elderly age women) live for Facebook . Young people CANNOT be reached via Facebook in terms of marketing. They are blind to it. But Instagram, wow, now you are playing with fire if you want to market to teens an 20 somethings. SkinnyTea anyone? Social proof is huge on this medium. Especially for girls. Anything targeting young women this is YOUR medium.

Talking about fastlane, I'll give people here a hint, you WANT to learn these new apps for business purposes. I know a younger guy related to my spouse's side of the family who has over a million followers on Vine. That is REACH. He is famous now to young people, and get paid tens of thousands to do a 5 second video wearing a simple product or talking about an app. Paid 1000's to retweet something. He get's approached by Microsoft, Justin Beiber, you name it. Blew up overnight by figuring out how to game Twitter followers, he learned the system and when Vine came out he started on it the first day.

But Vine, Instagram, are also 'old', there are newer apps that even younger generations are using, most marketers arnt on that level yet, older people are kept out and dont know about them, which is why the apps are cool. But there is serious untapped marketing potential in these areas. If you grow with the ecosystem, as my spouses friend did.

Rep transferred+. Awesome post with awesome Fastlane implications. Neglecting these tools out of spite will hurt your business. Kind of makes their use a necessary evil.

 

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[AgainstAllOdds]

Was watching Elon Musk's presentation, and became disappointed 6:50 in when everyone takes out their phones to record. Dammit, the entire presentation is being broadcast live around the world. Why the hell do you need to record it?

Don't know why, but that always strikes a nerve.

The worst for me is people that go to art museums and take pictures of the paintings using their phones. They're in front of BILLIONS (with a B) of dollars worth of art, that in previous lifetimes they'd never have access to, are able to get their face as close as 1 inch away from the canvas ... And what they decided to do is document every single piece instead of appreciating the work?

Every single painting is already cataloged on the museum's website! Just enjoy what you have, and put your phone away.

Sidenote: went on a hike with a beautiful 38 year old in California (her mid-life crisis). Then mid-hike she starts texting one of our mutual female friends for close to an hour. Trying to figure what the plans are later that night. After half an hour I just ended up stealthily walking away, finishing the hike, calling an Uber, and deleting her from my phone. Technology has turned a good portion of us into anti-social robots (unfortunately at the cost of me getting laid).

 

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[MJ DeMarco]

The whole process of them getting to the boat, on the boat and just about the whole time they are on the boat is LIVE on Facebook.

I recently saw two kids on the playground, both hypnotized by their smartphones.

I feel like I'm witnessing a zombie pandemic and screaming my head off, "Zombie! Zombie! STOP! You guys are all infected and you don't know it !!"

Instead of listening, the infected pulls out their smartphone and Instagrams a recording of me screaming "ZOMBIE!"

 

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[LightHouse]

Shoot I love Facebook, it's the only place I can impose pictures of my son on people all day every day and not feel bad about it.

No joke. I love that kid though.

 

[Dwight Schrute]

Check out this video. Pay no attention to Arnold and the punkage going on. Instead watch this and focus your attention on the smartphone and its ubiquity in the lives of culture. People walking through the museum and they all lead with their phones. Some are even on the phone. Take a look how it dominates everyone's present, and how their "now" has been demoted to a mere recording session to be shared and prostituted later for likes, comments, rah rah, and at best, remembered in 2D with one sense, vs 3D, with all senses.

 

[Deleted20833]

 

[Longinus]

Social media is evil.

Saying social media is evil is like saying guns are responsible for murder.

 

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[jkkkjkhk]

I use it for what it is - a simple way to keep informed and idly communicate with those I may otherwise rarely ever call or get to visit. And of course to advertise and such for business purposes.

And I absolutely click the "hide all from" button at the drop of a hat. I can only take so many posts fishing for likes and comments (aka "vaguebooking") before I just never want to see a post from them again.

It seems like facebook use is going down across the board though. This time 2 years ago my facebook account was exploding with every detail of everyone's lives. These days I may not see a single personal update from a friend or family member for days (and I only personally post a small handful of times a year, if that).

This is pretty much how I am, don't think I've ever posted a status update.
I've un-followed more people than I can count, including many of my immediate family, can't stand seeing "duck face" pics and these stupid

"Only 90s kids will remember these"

Which is another thing, heard this one going around, some girl making a comment about seeing an "old" corded phone and wondering why there's # symbol, saying twitter wasn't even around then. Natural selection needs to speed up.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Check out this video. Pay no attention to Arnold and the punkage going on. Instead watch this and focus your attention on the smartphone and its ubiquity in the lives of culture. People walking through the museum and they all lead with their phones. Some are even on the phone. Take a look how it dominates everyone's present, and how their "now" has been demoted to a mere recording session to be shared and prostituted later for likes, comments, rah rah, and at best, remembered in 2D with one sense, vs 3D, with all senses.

 

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[AllenCrawley]

Seriously, it's becoming a mental illness resulting in a generation of narcissists.

Does anyone talk anymore?

http://www.tmz.com/2015/10/01/mlb-announcer-sorority-girl-shaming-over-selfies-at-baseball-game/

They have turned this "embarrassing moment" into a great positive by making others aware of a local organization that supports victims of domestic violence and asking to support the cause. The Diamondbacks and Fox Sports reached out to them and offered free tickets to a game. They declined and posted the following statement on their Facebook page.

"Alpha Chi Omega at Arizona State University would like to thank the Arizona Diamondbacks and Fox Sports for reaching out to the chapter after last night’s game and subsequent media frenzy. We appreciate their generous offer of tickets to tonight’s game. However, instead of chapter members attending the game, we have asked the Diamondbacks and Fox Sports to provide tickets to a future game for families at A New Leaf, a local non-profit that helps support victims of domestic violence.

Today, October 1, marks the beginning of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. If everyone who viewed this statement took the time to make a donation in recognition of domestic violence awareness, which is Alpha Chi Omega’s national philanthropy, we would be so grateful! We are happy to have the opportunity to shed some positive light on such a sensitive subject. All proceeds will go directly to A New Leaf to help struggling Arizona families get back on their feet by providing housing, food, childcare and more. You can donate using the link below. We appreciate your support!"

http://www.azcentral.com/story/spor.../?hootPostID=e37c0d35243cdf44a4c4a08cc41fdbe2