Is Facebook turning people into morons?

axisus

Genuine question. 

I have always liked Facebook for the discussion groups. If you find a good one based on something that you are interested in then it can be a great source of interest and entertainment. Having said that, the dumb stuff that people post just seems so annoying at times. 

One of the things that I am a big fan of is Dr Who. As with other things, I like interesting discussion and facts, but honestly, so much moronic stuff turns up these days. I got lambasted for pissing on their parade a couple of days ago, I had a rant when this was posted:

Which Doctor are you based on your phone battery?

Utterly dumb sh*te if you ask me, what is the point of that on any level? Everyone else is happy to chip in with 'yay I got Matt Smith' or 'boo I got Troughton, I'm gonna come back when I've charged my phone' etc ad infinitum

That is just the tip of the iceberg of course. People are constantly reposting 'Let me rape your personal info' quizzes, or can I guess your favourite colour with ten questions bollocks, or My fairy name is Goldenglade Daisybell, what's yours?

There are still some useful places there for me, but honestly, how is everyone so entertained by all the truly mindless stuff? Also, I have one of those friends who can't survive without posting every minute of his life, daily 'view from my window', his kids somewhere, his dinner, his latest run - we even got a 'live running in the rain and wind' video! Yeah, blocked him in the end.

I genuinely think that people on the whole are getting more moronic, more accepting that this is entertainment. 

Fortunately I do have intelligent friends who post insightful stuff like Trevor Noah on the Daily show. The Daily show really does have some superb, insightful, educated material to entertain and inform, unlike most of the dross.

OK, grumpy old man rant over, they are beckoning me back to the cage now ....

boogieman

There have always been morons, just they used to read the Sun or OK magazine. I used to work with a woman who’d read her horoscope in the Sun, but if it wasn’t any good she’d say it was a load of rubbish and then ask to borrow another paper to get a better one. They live amongst us.

The constant attention seekers on there are an annoying thing, but in a lot of cases they’ve got low self esteem or are genuinely just lonely people who’s only social contact is on Facebook.  I do use it myself and it definitely has its uses, but you do have to filter out an awful lot of crap. 

rawk100

There's always been morons, it's just that social media allows you to make a complete cunt of yourself in front of millions rather than just your mates.

ToneControl

50% of people have below average intelligence

This was also true before Facebook

TheMarlin

That’s why I left Facebook ten years ago. Tried it briefly, got bored of all the bull very very quickly. 

Paul_C

Which is worse, someone finding fun in something pointless, or someone wasting their time getting all wound up about something pointless?

ToneControl

In a way though, it's an educational tool: people with stupid ideas (borrowed or their own) are often corrected by friends (or strangers)

Bygone_Tones

Paul_C said:

Which is worse, someone finding fun in something pointless, or someone wasting their time getting all wound up about something pointless?

"who is the bigger fool? the fool, or the fool who gets wound up by the fool?"

Legionreturns

Timehop has made it infinitely worse by people reposting some drivel every year over and over again...

Jonathangus

It's like any piece of technology - it's how it's used.  Normal, well-adjusted people post normal, well-adjusted things.  Morons post moronic shit.  It's just that the normal, well-adjusted folks are now more aware of the morons because their moronic shit is out there for all to see.

But it also allows the isolated pockets of moronic shit to become joined up.  Hence the rise in anti-vax bollocks, flat-earthism, extreme views, etc.

ToneControl said:

In a way though, it's an educational tool: people with stupid ideas (borrowed or their own) are often corrected by friends (or strangers)

You mean like how we all successfully 'corrected' sir_axeman? 

spark240

I don’t use Facebook....I use various forums for my interests, that suits me fine, I’m not against it I just don’t find the need for it.

GoldenEraGuitars

A lot of people are morons, naturally.

The internet simply gives said morons a voice.

Doesnt have to be Facebook, any social media platform or forum will do.

Bridgehouse

I’d be lost without Facebook - it would take me bloody hours to ring round all my mates and find out what they are having for tea.

Emp_Fab

lonestar said:

Most people are morons, naturally.

FTFY

thecolourbox

Facebook hasn't turned people into morons, it's just allowed them to show it more easily.

I can't remember where I saw it but I read something that said "The perfect illustration of the speed of light being faster than the speed of sound, is how people can look intelligent until they open their mouths to speak"

Bridgehouse

thecolourbox said:

Facebook hasn't turned people into morons, it's just allowed them to show it more easily.

I can't remember where I saw it but I read something that said "The perfect illustration of the speed of light being faster than the speed of sound, is how people can look intelligent until they open their mouths to speak"

Must remember that one...

ICBM

Bygone_Tones said:

Paul_C said:

Which is worse, someone finding fun in something pointless, or someone wasting their time getting all wound up about something pointless?

"who is the bigger fool? the fool, or the fool who gets wound up by the fool?"

Jonathangus said:

ToneControl said:

In a way though, it's an educational tool: people with stupid ideas (borrowed or their own) are often corrected by friends (or strangers)

You mean like how we all successfully 'corrected' sir_axeman? 

The farce is strong in that one...

guitarfishbay

Your FB feed is a reflection of your friend list and the interactions you make on the platform.

Bridgehouse

guitarfishbay said:

Your FB feed is a reflection of your friend list and the interactions you make on the platform.

If it’s full of mostly dumb stuff on your personal FB it’s pilot error.

Actually the thing that annoys me most is the random warning messages it throws up mid flight, the random suggestions for other airports, planes and airlines I should try and the crappy and inane “you’ll be amazed by these facts about the fuel tank in a DC10”

guitarfishbay

Bridgehouse said:

guitarfishbay said:

Your FB feed is a reflection of your friend list and the interactions you make on the platform.

If it’s full of mostly dumb stuff on your personal FB it’s pilot error.

Actually the thing that annoys me most is the random warning messages it throws up mid flight, the random suggestions for other airports, planes and airlines I should try and the crappy and inane “you’ll be amazed by these facts about the fuel tank in a DC10”

Lol...

i dif edit out the second part part of the post as I didn’t think it added anything useful.

But I can honestly say my FB is fine, it’s almost all music/guitar stuff on my feed. I barely interact on public posts so I don’t actually get much of that in my feed.

You can also snooze or unfollow people.

Schnozz

I have friends that have turned into attention seekers through facebook and other social media platforms.

Whenever I go on a trip with them, they're taking photos of their dinner and climbing up lamp posts to get the stupidest photo possible, or leaving the hotel at 3am to get a panoramic picture of the sunrise, because that's what their mate posted when they visited the area (not because they will enjoy it - They leave directly after the snap).

I find it pretty unbearable - Perhaps I was born in the wrong era.