Why Do People Ruin Facebook

Why Do People Ruin Facebook

I know many readers do not participate in Facebook.  Some actually hate Facebook with great passion even if they have never actually Faced the Book.

Potentially Facebook is a great place to visit, especially for old people.  You can meet up with old friends, and keep up with family and especially those grandchildren, as you can see pictures and videos posted instantly.

The problem with Facebook is people.  I am a people, so I am to blame as well.  Too many people post political and moral beliefs.  I have lost several friends (real, not FB friends) by getting into political discussions on Facebook.  It is a very poor venue for any serious discussions.

I learned my lesson and now stay clear of politics.  I delete political posts from all sides because politics is not why I visit Facebook.  I visit Facebook for friendly banter, to see what people are eating for lunch, and to laugh at silly cats and dogs.

Sadly, sometimes it is just impossible to avoid serious discussions. 

A while back I posted a comment which was a lead-in to a post about the Yankee/ Red Sox series.  I said,

“If there is a God in Heaven, he doesn’t care who wins, but I am rooting for the Yanks.”

A distant cousin who I have not really seen but maybe once since he was eight years old and I was sixteen commented,

“What do you mean ‘IF’”.

Now I believe this cousin holds very deep religious beliefs, but did he have to challenge my belief in the existence of God based an innocuous comment about a baseball game?

“If there is a God, then …” is also a fairly common expression.

I should have let his response slide.  I should have just deleted it, but I felt challenged and it annoyed me that even the most casual comment could result in a cyber slap on the wrist, and judgement of my beliefs which are not for Facebook consideration. 

I am so tired of walking on egg shells these days trying not to upset all the victims in the world that I responded, and probably not very delicately. 

After several back and fourth’s I realized the conversation was going nowhere.

I deleted all the comments and I unfriended the distant cousin. 

I am too old to deal with negativity from people I really do not know. 

I also decided to delete any “friend” on Facebook that was really not an actual friend as I realized how silly it is to maintain contact with people that I do not know anymore and do not have any real interest in maintaining a relationship.

If any of my previous “friends” notice that I have “de-friended” you, don’t be offended.  I have just decided that Facebook friends should really be “friends.” 

Yes, I have some FB friends that I have never met except through venues such as my blog, but people that I may have gone to school with but do not actually know, people I once worked with but do not really know, these friends have been dropped…nothing personal, just a few more people to not offend with casual off the cuff comments.