Dislike This: 7 Facebook sins that users are tired of

Didit Editorial

9 years ago

September 22, 2015: Facebook is like a friend that you’ve known for so very long that you’re willing to put up with their little quirks and annoying habits. Over the years, it’s gone from my number one platform for oversharing, to a way to quietly “creep” on new acquaintances and old frenemies, to an app I put up with for work and so that I can use Messenger.

Recently, good ole Mark Z. let slip that Facebook is “testing” the often requested “Dislike” button. While it won’t be an outright “Dislike indicator” it seems that this new button will be a way for users to express their feelings on news that isn’t as “likable.” (This may not be the best move on Facebook’s part because there’s not much I can find “likable” on their platform anymore.)

Perhaps you remember my declaration of pet peeves on Instagram, Twitter, and Livestreams. In honor of this new “dislike” button, I’ve decided to bring back my “sins” list and cover the network we all love to hate, Facebook:

1. Creepy Ads: Something about a network that lets me like pictures of my baby cousin but is also trying to sell me BP gasoline (this example comes from today’s Newsfeed) is doing far too much. Facebook: you can try and try to make the ads fit, but they just wind up looking awkward. Also, consider this: topics I was interested in when I was 17 might not be the same topics that I’m interested in now. Trust me when I say the average user isn’t going to constantly update their interests, so targeting becomes a tricky (and possibly wasteful) process.

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2. Stolen Videos (and other content): Freebooting seriously bothers me and appears to have lately spun out of control. When I see a ripped video on some struggling comedian’s Page that a million people have engaged with that doesn’t have the proper source attribution, I take steps to report it. Both the owner of the page and Facebook can make money off of this stolen content. Facebook needs to fix this problem and educate users on content theft.

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3. An embarrassing aggregation of everything I’ve ever done: “Hey Maggie, remember when you liked Facebook 6 years ago? Here is a collage we made of that girl from college that you don’t really talk to! Yes, you’re still friends with her!” Facebook, STOP.

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4. Brands using outdated memes: Because Facebook makes it nearly impossible to get Business Page views these days without paying for “boosted” posts, a lot of brands are doing these “wacky” and “quirky” viral posts that are frankly embarrassing. Most of the time, it seems as if the brands are trying to stir controversy, because most engaging posts are arguments these days. Twix is a good example of this. Left Twix vs. Right Twix? Really? These pointless exercises in “content-free content” seem desperately absurd.

From the Twix Facebook Page

5. The Classic Oversharer: Many people tick me off on Facebook. This has been covered by my previous blog article, but is worth restating: please stop over sharing. I don’t want to rude and unfriend you. When Facebook introduced unfollowing on newsfeeds without unfriending, it was a godsend.

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6. Old People: Old people have become an epidemic on Facebook. Everyone’s parents and grandparents have a Facebook presence now. While I’m mature enough to simply have a laugh when I see other people attempting to deal with their moms online, I’m pretty sure the quickest way to lose the teen demographic is to have the over 40 club take over. If you haven’t yet checked out the “Old People Writing on a Restaurant’s Facebook Page” Tumblr yet, I highly recommend it.

From “Old People Writing on a Restaurant’s Facebook Page”

7. The Greed: Between the autoplay ads, livestreaming, and attempt to purchase or compete against every other network that is doing cool stuff (Hi Snapchat, YouTube, Periscope, etc.), Facebook has become something like the uncool rich uncle at the party. You might marvel at this guy’s ability to monetize – even while he’s taking to you – but that doesn’t make him cool.

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Facebook should be focusing on what it already does best and stop trying to be the (expensive) “one stop shop” for all social media needs. It’s lame. My feed is way too muddled with stuff I don’t use and am not interested in. I know I’m not alone, and while I’m capable of absorbing a lot of annoyance without blowing my top, my patience isn’t unlimited.