Unclog the Drain

Facebook occupies a curious slot in the timeline of social media: old enough that younger millenials might not remember a time without it, young enough that many might consider a relatively new phenomenon, and ubiquitous enough that I’d be hard pressed to fully utilize the internet without an account. Gripes, groans, praises and plaudits – I hear them on a daily basis, proving that Facebook’s popularity waxes and wanes as much as a controversial Trump tweet. My earlier experiences did seem more information-based than they have as of late. Statuses were explanatory and often interesting, and more importantly posted by friends and family of all ages. Remember the “… is feeling” posts? To me, that points to a friendlier and more intimate sharing of thoughts than today’s popular meme groups.

In addition, many complain of Facebook being so cluttered that their virtual desktop is hard to read. Facebook is, in essence, “clogged” with fake news, advertisements, and poorly disguised product placements. Feeds are chronologically displaced – that is, I can log on and see four ads, three “recommended posts”, and old status updates before reading what my mom thought of last night’s Grammy awards. I’ve also heard blame placed on user services that should be placed on Mark Zuckerberg. Users often call him out for his own political and social values and hold Facebook – the website – to his (perceived) shortcomings. I truly believe that focusing on the larger picture – and not the man who runs it – will help unhappy users gain leeway in their protests.

Simple fixes abound: unfollow friends who often share advertisements, flag inappropriate/fake news sites, and, most importantly, be proactive in your own quest for a less cluttered feed. Don’t sit back and be a virtual couch potato – take the 10 minutes and clear your own drain!

2 thoughts on “Unclog the Drain

  1. I agree with this 100%. Whenever I see something I don’t like on Facebook, I always report it so that my own newsfeed could be better next time I go on. It seems to sometimes work so I continue to do it.

  2. I think the, “is feeling…” comments on FB had too many options and may have been viewed as too annoying to some people. I think that it may have been too personal or just repeated what you’d assume the person would be feeling based on their post. I don’t think the twitter posts you shared had enough context for the post, but I really appreciate the advice at the end. You did a good job of incorporating your own experience with that of others.

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