Can Someone Explain Facebook/Twitter?

[jobob]

I use it to keep in touch with my friends (as in, people I know and care about), and I enjoy it. It gives me the ability to pick and choose who sees my posts. I'm very selective about whom I "friend", so I don't have hundreds of them like some do. I communicate more with my TE friends there than I do here.

[shootingstar]

Um...think we need to ease off from hammering away on the point that it's not egocentric, etc. Point has been made before things spiral outta control.

For me, it's a pleasure to even get the occasional email from family and close friends --occasionally. Being on Facebook or Twitter as a tool to bond closer with these valued folks in my life, is not going to work for me.

And I have good relationships with my loved ones. It's just a style of communication varies.

As for keeping up with high school friends, except for 1 person with whom I email/see, I have had no interest in past few decades. This was reconfirmed after I got a verbal update last year on all the latest developments via a same high school friend who went to mega high school reunion ..thousands of kms. away. It satisfied my curiosity.

[ASammy1]

Forgot to add one thing...

I love finding that I have friends from 2 different social/professional circles who are also friends with each other! It puts a huge smile on my face and reconfirms that whole 6 degrees of separation thing!

[Pax]

I lasted two weeks on Facebook before deactivating my account. I'm in regular contact with anyone I'd like to have contact with, all the others...not so much.

For me it was just really boring, I didn't care that my cousin (who I haven't seen in 20 years) just put a cake in the oven. My stay-at-home-mom cousins posted every detail of their day, all day, and seemed to be offended if I didn't respond often enough.

So, for me, it just wasn't worth my time. Others feel differently and they stay on FB, different strokes.

[shootingstar]

For me it was just really boring, I didn't care that my cousin (who I haven't seen in 20 years) just put a cake in the oven. My stay-at-home-mom cousins posted every detail of their day, all day, and seemed to be offended if I didn't respond often enough.

So, for me, it just wasn't worth my time. Others feel differently and they stay on FB, different strokes.

This type of vicarious detailed knowledge of my loved ones and vice versa would actually drive each other nuts/frustrate one another. It works when some families using older technology, phoned each other to talk about daily events several times per wk.

But we weren't even like that when I lived in the same city with my family and friends with regular telephone. I was in contact with any family member about every 2-3 wks. when I lived in the same city. I guess I belong in a family of independent happy and loved loners.

Heck, my dearie and I still haven't gotten around to cellphone just for 2 of us. Now it's a cost issue that neither of us want to bear given that we have to budget more tightly.

[Crankin]

I think that I feel exactly like Shootingstar. I am in contact with everyone who I want to be in contact with. Really, if I want to talk, I call, or maybe email, but mostly call. I don't spend a lot of the time doing that, either, though. I contact someone to make plans, generally. Maybe I am weird, but I have an active social life, but it is generally with the same few people that I see on a regular basis and the talking we do in person is enough for me. It's nice that I reconnected with my 2 friends from college, but I have "hidden" my nieces' stuff on FB because it's absolutely inane. And one of my friends from AZ is so hooked on Farmville, that all of her posts are about that.
I like TE because i learn things, about cycling, and sometimes about other stuff. I just don't feel the need to be that connected to everyone I know. Maybe it's compassion fatigue from being in a helping profession, but when I go home, all I want to do is talk to my DH or occasionally my kids. I know most people would say I was friendly and social, it's just that I don't feel the need to say what I'm doing or to learn what others are doing on a constant basis. If I am going to grieve with someone, it's going to be in person or in a phone call... just my opinion and I guess I am in the minority.
Yea, and I'm the person who doesn't turn on her cell phone unless it's really necessary.

[MomOnBike]

Put me in the pro-Facebook crowd. The rest of my family (DH excepted, of course) lives in other states. How else would I keep up with them? Yes, we could call, but we're busy. It's ALWAYS a bad time to call.

And not only family. I've reconnected with old friends. I had tried to look them up, but everyone's name was either Smith or Jones, with a few slightly less common names thrown in. I just had to make myself visible and hope they would look for me. Facebook made that possible.

You can hide a lot of those annoying Farmtown, etc. posts. That was about the first thing I learned to do.

[jobob]

... just my opinion and I guess I am in the minority.

Your opinion is perfectly fine and valid. It really doesn't matter if you're in a majority or a minority here. If you don't care for fb or twitter, heck, it's no skin off my nose.

I just chafe at the blanket generalization that was made earlier in this thread about people who don't happen to share that opinion. But I guess maybe it's a non-issue at this point.

[OakLeaf]

Aside from everything else that's already been said here six times...

Facebook is where the Park District posts which sections of the MUP are closed for maintenance, and when.

That oughta be enough for any TE'r.

[limewave]

After having DD and DS, I was starting to feel disconnected. I have to stay home with the kids while DH works late most nights and every Saturday. After I get the kids down for the night I get on FB and "visit" with my friends.

Yes, I could call a friend instead . . . and sometimes I do. But being on FB is like going to the local coffee shop or bar. A group of my friends are just about always online and we can chat, make plans, play games, etc.

I've reconnected with friends that I lost touch with over the years. In fact, I discovered new shared interests/hobbies with some people from HS. We started a running group and I've found more women to mountain bike with.

It's been really great for networking. I've gotten A LOT of work from old HS buddies that I've recently reconnected with.

Best of all, my mom and I play scrabble on FB the nights DH works late. I'll get the kids in bed, make a cup of hot cocoa and play a game with my mom.

[jobob]

Um...think we need to ease off from hammering away on the point that it's not egocentric, etc. Point has been made before things spiral outta control.

The OP made a very derogatory generalization which was reinforced by a few others. I see nothing wrong with chiming in with opinions contradicting such a statement.