I've seen lots of criticism on what people should or shouldn't post on Facebook. I've seen people complain about political and religious posts, about pictures of food, about exercise logs or weight logs. I've seen people say that you shouldn't put anything negative on Facebook or that you shouldn't whine or complain. You post too much. You don't post enough. I've seen people criticize nearly every type of Facebook post, including being critical of other people's Facebook posts.
I enjoy the variety of posts that I see in my newsfeed. I love seeing posts about the things that are going on in the personal lives of my family and friends, particularly those that I don't get to see in person on a regular basis. I enjoy seeing photos of them doing fun things or their new haircut or whatever other exciting thing is going on in their lives.
I enjoy seeing photos of the food that my friends eat. Some of the photos are very delicious-looking, and I want to try the food that they're having. I wonder if some people don't enjoy these posts because seeing it makes them hungry or it makes them jealous that they're not eating it or it makes them feel guilty that the food they eat isn't as "healthy" as what their friends post.
I enjoy seeing posts that my friends make about jogs that they go on, or weights that they've lifted, or weight that they've lost, or other similar posts indicating their fitness training. They're excited about the progress they've made. They might need encouragement from other people in order to continue doing it. They are certainly less likely to maintain these healthy habits if they get criticism from other people about sharing their progress. Why would people criticize that? Perhaps the guilt factor, again? Perhaps they feel like their friends are just bragging or being preachy?
I make several posts about politics. I think that politics is very important. It dictates much of how we live our lives. Whether minimum wage should be raised or maintained affects a large number of people, and people should care whether that happens. The laws that we have currently help shape the society we live in. We should all be mindful of politics, get involved, and be active in sharing our thoughts and ideas with others. Is Facebook the best place for that? Maybe. Maybe not. But it's certainly one place where that's allowed.
I make several posts about religion. To me it's important because, like politics, it also affects our society. Not in the same direct way that politics does, but certainly in just as powerful a way. The religion I grew up in affected how I viewed myself as a gay man the entire time I was in the religion, and it continues to affect the way many people see themselves and their gay relatives and friends. Creationists are trying to prevent science classes from teaching science because it disagrees with their religious beliefs. This affects the rising generation of children. If they don't learn science, they'll be less prepared for facing the challenges and issues of the future.
Facebook has guidelines for the community. They're fairly loose and leave lots of room for diversity. The general idea is that you shouldn't try to hurt other people's feelings, you shouldn't post any adult content (because children are allowed to access the site). But there isn't much restriction beyond that. They don't have any rules about posting exercise logs, weight loss logs, food pics, political ideas, religious beliefs, or negativity.
When someone makes a post, sometimes I like to think "What made em post this?" I try to understand what ey's thinking or going through. What's eir motivation for making such a post? I learn more about people when I think of it that way rather than when I do the usual knee-jerk reaction. I like learning about other people and trying to understand what makes them tick. I like knowing what's important in their lives and how they feel about the events that are going on. I like the diversity I see in my Facebook feed.
I enjoy the variety of posts that I see in my newsfeed. I love seeing posts about the things that are going on in the personal lives of my family and friends, particularly those that I don't get to see in person on a regular basis. I enjoy seeing photos of them doing fun things or their new haircut or whatever other exciting thing is going on in their lives.
I enjoy seeing photos of the food that my friends eat. Some of the photos are very delicious-looking, and I want to try the food that they're having. I wonder if some people don't enjoy these posts because seeing it makes them hungry or it makes them jealous that they're not eating it or it makes them feel guilty that the food they eat isn't as "healthy" as what their friends post.
I enjoy seeing posts that my friends make about jogs that they go on, or weights that they've lifted, or weight that they've lost, or other similar posts indicating their fitness training. They're excited about the progress they've made. They might need encouragement from other people in order to continue doing it. They are certainly less likely to maintain these healthy habits if they get criticism from other people about sharing their progress. Why would people criticize that? Perhaps the guilt factor, again? Perhaps they feel like their friends are just bragging or being preachy?
I make several posts about politics. I think that politics is very important. It dictates much of how we live our lives. Whether minimum wage should be raised or maintained affects a large number of people, and people should care whether that happens. The laws that we have currently help shape the society we live in. We should all be mindful of politics, get involved, and be active in sharing our thoughts and ideas with others. Is Facebook the best place for that? Maybe. Maybe not. But it's certainly one place where that's allowed.
I make several posts about religion. To me it's important because, like politics, it also affects our society. Not in the same direct way that politics does, but certainly in just as powerful a way. The religion I grew up in affected how I viewed myself as a gay man the entire time I was in the religion, and it continues to affect the way many people see themselves and their gay relatives and friends. Creationists are trying to prevent science classes from teaching science because it disagrees with their religious beliefs. This affects the rising generation of children. If they don't learn science, they'll be less prepared for facing the challenges and issues of the future.
Facebook has guidelines for the community. They're fairly loose and leave lots of room for diversity. The general idea is that you shouldn't try to hurt other people's feelings, you shouldn't post any adult content (because children are allowed to access the site). But there isn't much restriction beyond that. They don't have any rules about posting exercise logs, weight loss logs, food pics, political ideas, religious beliefs, or negativity.
When someone makes a post, sometimes I like to think "What made em post this?" I try to understand what ey's thinking or going through. What's eir motivation for making such a post? I learn more about people when I think of it that way rather than when I do the usual knee-jerk reaction. I like learning about other people and trying to understand what makes them tick. I like knowing what's important in their lives and how they feel about the events that are going on. I like the diversity I see in my Facebook feed.
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Anyone is allowed to comment on this blog. As you can tell from reading my blog, I am very opinionated and I'm not afraid to share my opinion. You're welcome to disagree with me as mildly or vehemently as you like, but be aware that I will reply with my own opinions, very strongly. If you don't want that kind of open discussion, or you think it will hurt your feelings, then please avoid posting. I do try to be respectful, but my verbology often comes across as brusque.