Why I hardly use Facebook anymore and prefer to spend my time and money on Steemit

in #steemit8 years ago (edited)

Introduction

I'm going to make this a short post (for me at least lol) so that people don't have trouble getting to the end.

I've had a few friends ask me (on the rare occasions I actually see them in real life nowadays) why I don't use Facebook as much as I used to.  I thought it would be useful to go through some of he reasons why:


Facebook is a time sink and I rarely if ever feel I have gained anything from it

It is easy to spend hours going through your Facebook feed looking at a load of vacuous populist guff which is interesting at the time but ultimately brings me no benefit. 

Contrary to many of the thoughtful posts I read on Steemit, on FB I learn nothing new from what I see.  

If anything it just makes me feel bad in some respects because of the next point:


Facebook is an exercise in false conformist vanity

Everybody is posting selfies of themselves having a "self- proclaimed" wonderful time.  I don't know about everyone else but generally when I am having a wonderful time I am so in the moment that I don't really think about get my mobile phone out and posting it in my Facebook timeline.

People discuss the minutiae of their daily lives yet it all seems to me to be a false attempt at trying to fit in and convince other people that they are living a great life.  

The more somebody needs to post all this up the more I get the sense that they are trying to compensate for something which isn't actually there.  

Further if you are so insecure that you need approval from other people for just going about your mundane activities I'm not sure I want to follow you.

Whilst I'm sure we will eventually get this sort of thing on Steemit too, it is for the time being significantly less of a problem.


Facebook manipulates us, our friends and our families for it's own ends

As time has gone on FB has seemed to become more and more manipulative in the way it deals with us as a means to serve it's own interests.  

Many of us would have read with some degree of unease how they openly admitted to using us in psychological experiments in 2014.  

Any medical professional doing similar experiments would need some kind of ethical approval to do this.

Since FB is an online social media platform it seems it has impunity to do what it likes - particularly since it is a mulitbillion dollar mega corporation now.  

We have also heard about FB's extensive censorship and biases.  The examples are too many to list.  The fact is that none of us can really be sure what exactly they are doing behind the scenes and what motivations (political or otherwise) they have.  

I simply don't trust them to have any concern for our best interests as customers.

Whilst Steemit has it's problems and communication is one of them I don't get the same feelings of manipulation here.  

Hopefully this will not change when Steemit gets bigger.  When I first started on FB it was quite different too.


Facebook takes from us but gives little back in return

I have heard many people say that FB is great because it gives you a place to share your information and stay in touch with people for free.  

Only it isn't free.  FB uses our information and our posts to make money.  That is why it exists.  

The vast majority of people I know don't seem to understand that or they don't care.  

FB is not some charitable organisation.  It makes money from all of us and we do most of the work for them.  

There is no crime in that.  I just expect something more in return because I value my time and effort more.

- Which brings us to my next point:


Facebook has been making it harder to promote work without paying them

If you try to use Facebook for promoting anything such as your own photography page (as in my case) or any other kind of endeavour that you have then you will have to pay to get any visibility on it.  

I don't actually have a problem with that in itself.  

My problem is that many of us were attracted to posting on FB originally because that WAS not the case.  

It was only once enough people had started using this feature that they changed the rules and basically made it so that only businesses and people who were sufficiently wealthy could get their photography and similar pages any visibility at all.

Changing the rules after the fact seems distinctly unfair.

I saw my views and comments plummet whilst all the time having FB pester me to pay frankly insane sums of money to get more views. 

This is because FB made it so that only a certain proportion of your "fans" and "friends" would actually see the posts you make - something that they constantly tinker with in a way that makes them maximum money.

Don't get me wrong - I understand a business needs to make money but there is fine line between making money and alienating the people that you are using to do it.

Even if I only get a few cents for a post on Steemit it is more than I have ever got on FB.  

Further when Steemit introduced the promotion feature they didn't devalue or hide the other posts in favour of it (which is basically what FB did).  

Obviously this could change but I hope that the Steemit team pay heed to this.  Don't repeat the mistakes of your biggest competitor.


I get very little actual engagement or connection on Facebook

In the short time I have been on Steemit I have had more in depth and rewarding discussions than I have had  in almost a decade of being on FB.  

For the people I actually know in real life on FB I tend to talk to them in multiple other ways - FB messaging is just one of them and is purely out of convenience.  

If it disappeared it would make little difference to these relationships.

Although I constantly get new "friends" on FB these are not people I get to know at all.  

I rarely if ever have any kind of conversation with them - even if they do message me.  

People friend you and become part of your feed on FB but it is a very one way kind of communication and to be honest that's all it can be with the degree of superficiality that the site engenders.  

Contrast that with Steemit where I have gotten into deep discussions on a variety of topics which I never even see anywhere on FB.

In the same way that I don't feel any financial incentive to post on FB even more importantly there is little psychological or social incentive to do it anymore either.  

There just seems little point given the lack of reward.


In summary: I don't trust Facebook anymore

All of the above points get to the heart of the matter which is that I no longer trust Facebook.  Since even before I knew about Steemit I had significantly reduced my use of FB in my general day to day life.  

Now that I can use Steemit I need it even less.  

That is not to say that Steemit is without problems, it's just that in the balance of things it is (for me at least) a much more rewarding and trustworthy platform.  

That could change though - FB was quite different in the early days too.  The Steemit team need to stay cognisant of this.  

There was a time when Myspace was at the top of tree and Facebook was the young upstart.

We as a community need to stay vigilant and ensure that Steemit does all it can to be inviting and valuable to users (both new and old).  

The one guarantee in these kinds of things is that if you don't look after your users then someone else will come along and take them off your hands.


Obligatory Kitten Shot

Your reward for reading (for those who are interested there is a personal update on me below this):



Update for My Followers

For all those who have been asking my left eye is much better.  It still gets tired and out of focus quite quickly but I was advised by the eye doctor to expect that for several months at least.  In the meantime I am very much used to using my good eye when that happens.  I have a follow up appointment at the eye clinic this week which I expect to be unremarkable.

In other news I have broken my last target of getting to 8000SP.  Thank you to everyone who has followed me and voted for me and helped me to reach my goal.  I have a new target of 12,000 SP now which I think will take longer to reach as I don't have as much BTC to power up with.  

As always I will continue to strive to be a good member of the community and support Steemit in any way I can.  


If you like my work and aren't already please follow me and check out my blog (I mainly discuss photography but I do other topics like this too) -  @thecryptofiend 


I have also created a new channel in the chat dedicated to photography of people/portraits called "Photography-portraits-people".  Please check it out and post your photos there.


Image Credits: All images are stock photos.  First image of Facebook logos is from my personal Istockphoto account.  All other images are from my personal Thinkstock account.


My Previous Photography Posts and Tutorials:

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FB users are giving FB precious data with no rewards. It's insane to think how much money they are making just from tracking what is searched or what users click on. Selling this data is probably gold. FB isn't the only one of course. Things will hopefully change when people start realizing their data is worth something. Their searches are worth something.

Great information! Exellent bloging, keep awesome hard work! I've been watching your many blogs and they have helped me a lot. I'm very new at this and only started researching cryptocurrencies about a month ago. I've purchased a small amount of Bitcoin 0.013btc and Ethereum 0.003eth and now holding.

My BTC Wallet Address is: 1JuGhApoHgLwpUsKn66faYzoMGSm2WmT3n

My ETH wallet address is: 0x92C4c1bB3e44FfE8F2B4805Cfa343fD3cc22E8BA

Thank you:D

@thecryptofiend Upvoted! This is a great post and was chosen to be the lead story on the front page of today's 'Steem Talk' edition: https://steemit.com/news/@steemtalk/steem-talk-your-daily-best-of-steemit-digital-newspaper-thursday-evening-edition-23

Thank you. Glad you liked it and thanks for featuring it.

I'm glad that you included the kitten photo. I'm convinced that photos and videos of cats are the glue that holds the Internet together.

Lol. You may be right there:)

@thecryptofiend - upvoted 100% !
I so~~~ can relate to this. The only reason I use it sometimes is to chat with my friends to arrange going out and so on.

Even if I only get a few cents for a post on Steemit it is more than I have ever got on FB.

at least you did - not a cent here.
Before I even joined Steemit, I was on an FB diet.
Somehow, that selfietitis and popularity contest has found its way in here but there's more content that gives people value.
Congratulations with your 8k SP and I wish you all the best to reach your 12K SP goal. Cheers!
I hope your eye soon recuperates - it's very important for a photographer.

Thank you. I'm pleased you get it.

I think to some degree we will always have a popularity contest since we are social animals and it is programmed into us.

I think it is still better on Steemit and the general value of the content is better. Perhaps that is because the great masses have not yet come but I also think the curation has a role here too.

Thanks for your good wishes.

When I even go back to Reddit and I don't like it anymore. My consumption habits have totally changed. I'm all Steemit.

I very rarely go on Reddit at all either.

Just log out...

It's easier to just close the browser window than formally log out:)

Fantastic post! I lost interest in fb the minute I started on Steemit. Or maybe not. I have been disillusioned for a while and have been rapidly "unfollowing" "friends". I am searching for "real". Steemit has offered me a little. Congratulations on your milestones achieved.

ten four on the 'unfollow' part. One must be selective.

Thank you.

I think I have found that the most real thing is still friends you actually meet face to face (at least occasionally). It is hard with modern life though to get the time. Plus people live all over the world now.

Most of my best friends are not even in the same country anymore so it makes so much easier to rely on technology.

That is why online connections are so seductive to us all but I do think we lose something if we rely on them too much. Also like I said with FB most of the connections are not really very deep or real.

That said the level of depth you get from reading an average Steemit post is much greater and I think this has to do with the culture of the site and the curation aspects of it.

Here people are encouraged to take their time and post on more weighty issues. If I did that on my regular Facebook feed nobody would ever read anything I posted.

Sad truth, "Most of my best friends are not even in the same country anymore so it makes so much easier to rely on technology" , my situation is the same...

It's how modern society is sadly.

Another good point. :) Back when facebook first started. I joined there in 2007 , a little time after it came into its evolving from the hot or not era. I use to post some long post there. I got lots of responses to them. Yet now, if I post , it gets lost into the black hole!

Yes. I think it is the curse of popularity in some respects.

Totally agree, It seems to be that way here as well! It seems to be a popularity contest. Something you just will never get rid of. No matter what the platform.

Well life is a bit like that really. I don't think you can ever completely get away from that. We are social animals so it is important because of the way we are biologically programmed.

Definitely. No-one liked my posts unless they were silly memes or cats. I like to keep in touch with my only sister living in New Zealand. For the rest I don't care.

Me too. I hardly every check my friend feed. If I want to communicate I just use the messenger. The actual pages are pointless to me.

I'm pleased to hear you are recovering well from your op and congratulations on hitting your target.
I'm only using facebook for messenger now and crossing my fingers that we will have a steem based version soon so I can say goodbye to fb once and for all.

Thanks. That's pretty much what I'm doing too. If my friends didn't use FB and particularly messenger I wouldn't need it at all.

I mainly used facebook to read articles and keep up with a few people so when I found Steemit, I was pretty much off facebook from then on.

I understand:)

Excellent my friend its publication congratulations

Just posted on Facebook, but they will probably block it from most feeds... Will be interesting to see... Resteemed as well...

Thank you. I posted it on Facebook too. Frankly I don't think they care anyway. They don't see anyone else as a threat. They have the "too big to fail" mentality now.

Great post!

About a month after I quit using FB I found Steemit. One of the first posts I did on Steemit was about why I quit FB.

https://steemit.com/introduceyourself/@sift666/is-steemit-the-future-of-the-internet-or-just-the-new-facebook

You commented on it and I checked out your awesome photos and started following you. I just realised you were one of the first people I followed - way back over a month ago :)

I am planning to post more photos - thanks for the inspiration - maybe I'll even post some B&W ones!

Thanks I remember your post now that you refreshed my memory.

Is that one of your photos? It looks awesome:)

Yes that's our big Maine Coon fluffball called Christo - I take lots of photos of him

If it's Free, You are the Product

Which means it isn't free because they are selling your work, your information, your life, your time and effort to make money. That is not free by my definition though most people see it as being free.

Everything is going to cost, when it comes down too it. If it's not money, then it's time, creativity, energy and etc. You can't run anything on nothing, and if you can, I want that invention! :)

226 votes... $16.84?

Well it's a bit higher now. It depends on whether whales like it or not.

when I am having a wonderful time I am so in the moment that I don't really think about get my mobile phone out and posting it in my Facebook timeline.

This. Best explanation of why there's that sense of fakeness to those selfie shots

This post has been Tweeted on the Official @Steemit Twitter Account.

steemit Steemit tweeted @ 26 Sep 2016 - 12:57 UTC

Why I hardly use Facebook anymore and prefer to spend my time and money on @Steemit #SocialMediatwitter.com/i/web/status/7…

Disclaimer: I am just a bot trying to be helpful.

Thank you. Yes I saw that.

Facebook has almost become a virus always wanting your cell phone number. It is super annoying to me. I don't get on there. Congrats on reaching your last Steem Power goal! We will keep reaching the next levels!

Thanks. Yes exactly.

I like the reality check Steemit gives,
the herdmentallity on Facebook off-sets me and indeed lot's of false psychology.
Hoping Steemit keeps growing to something indeed.

I agree. There is little free thought on FB. Me too:)

I found myself nodding my head as I was reading. I agree on every point. When I go on facebook these days the vacuousness of some of the posts irritates me to the point of exploding and the constant clamour to be approved of is just draining.

Bonus points for the obligatory kitten picture!

I found myself nodding my head as I was reading. I agree on every point. When I go on facebook these days the vacuousness of some of the posts irritates me to the point of exploding and the constant clamour to be approved of is just draining.

Exactly.

Bonus points for the obligatory kitten picture!

The kitten picture is the best part I think lol!

Its everything a kitten should be!

Lol. It's certainly very cute:)

@thecryptofiend

Excellent. Glad you are doing fine. Indeed. I actually don't use it at all except for the chat part. I have a whopping 13 friends anyways :)

Looks like you have maintained some discipline in friending people. I used to just say yes to everyone.

if I don't see someone for more than a year I unfriend them. no point. i like to keep it real.

That's a good policy.

Great stuff you certainly nailed this eh ? @cryptofiend. I have to say i rarely show my " face " there now either !! Sadly there are still friends there which I tell of where I am. I amhoping soon they too will see the Steemit Light !!

Thanks. Hopefully they will particularly as Steemit evolves with new features like messaging:)

Good post , I agree with you. The only thing I use facebook for now, its to keep in touch with friends and family, through messaging. Also posting my runtastic walk statistics.

I think my Fitbit may still post for me sometimes!

I lost interest in Facebook before I knew about Steemit, now Steemit is all I use!

I completely understand:)

I spend much less time on Facebook now than I used to. With a book release coming up next month, though, I've been having to mind my Facebook fan page, Twitter account, and Instagram account to keep readers engaged and excited for the new book. But, as for my personal Facebook account, I'm only barely checking in there lately. I spend way more time here, like you.

I love the kitten picture, by the way. It took me a while to find my photo "niche" as a fiction writer on Instagram, but I've gradually become one of the Writers with Cats on there. :)

But, as for my personal Facebook account, I'm only barely checking in there lately. I spend way more time here, like you.

I understand what you mean.

I love the kitten picture, by the way. It took me a while to find my photo "niche" as a fiction writer on Instagram, but I've gradually become one of the Writers with Cats on there. :)

The kitten picture is my favourite bit. Thanks for your support:)

Hi @thecryptofiend, just stopping back to let you know that your post was one of my favourite reads today. You can read my comments on the post here.

Thanks. Glad you like it:)

Totally agreed. I am spending almost all my free time here and trying to persuade facebook users to take a look at Steemit.

Great. I hope you are having some success:)

Great thoughts and information! So refreshing to be amongst the steemit crew!

I couldn't agree with you more!!! I'm going on four months without a facebook account and I feel great! I'm able to find information and news that is really important to me and the world from far better sources... not the crap that facebook wants me look at and value.