Social media /Facebook and AA
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Join Date: Jan 2019
Posts: 211
Originally Posted by WhoDeyPI 
From time to time I'll post on Facebook about my progress. I don't do it for attention, I just do it because it's the best way I know how to "let my family in". I only post about it every few months, and the reaction has been all positive. After years of hiding my addiction, I feel proud that I'm finally able to admit it. I'm no longer ashamed, as sobriety is my biggest life accomplishment. I did have 1 person "call me out" for "bragging" about being in "recovery"...which I found disgusting and inappropriate. That person is no longer part of my life.
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Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: The Midwest
Posts: 649
When you sign up on Facebook, *you* are the product.
Facebook is good for really one thing. If you own a business (or you’re in politics or advertising), it’s an excellent tool for reaching people with extremely accurate microtargeted ads (Facebook knows a *lot* about you).
Outside of that, I don’t recommend it for staying in touch with people. The algorithm is designed to show you content not chronologically, but in priority of what content Facebook believes you are most likely to engage with. That’s why “outrage” content will always appear high in your feed.
Delete it or reduce your time on the app. Stick to a private Instagram with a close circle of friends, family and people you like.
Facebook is good for really one thing. If you own a business (or you’re in politics or advertising), it’s an excellent tool for reaching people with extremely accurate microtargeted ads (Facebook knows a *lot* about you).
Outside of that, I don’t recommend it for staying in touch with people. The algorithm is designed to show you content not chronologically, but in priority of what content Facebook believes you are most likely to engage with. That’s why “outrage” content will always appear high in your feed.
Delete it or reduce your time on the app. Stick to a private Instagram with a close circle of friends, family and people you like.
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Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: here, now.
Posts: 1,236
Live and let live, but I deleted my Facebook eight months ago and I do not miss it a bit. Not even a little bit. In fact when I hear people talking about it, I feel so happy that it’s not a part of my life anymore and I really like being a person who “doesn’t do Facebook”.
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Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 424
I’ve never had Facebook. Oh the reactions I get. The first thing everyone ALWAYS says is “Good for you—it’s a real time time suck”
The idea of Facebook is great—to keep in current contact with those that may be far away, from the past, etc. It lost its basic principles soon after it went mainstream. It became a place to voyeur, envy, and one up everyone you friended.
I am an alcoholic and knew I had addictive tendencies. Joining Facebook would have drove me to a mental institution.
Sadly, you can’t control what others do and I agree with you on wanting to keep things anonymous. It’s just not how some people are programmed. They need to be noticed, recognized, in the right group, at the right place, etc. — that’s how I see most chronic Facebook users. They all feel this need to be included and contributing even if it’s at the cost of others.
Never had Facebook, never will and we have a good life. Hoping for it to get better as I work on my sobriety. But that’s for us to handle as a family and with SR.
The idea of Facebook is great—to keep in current contact with those that may be far away, from the past, etc. It lost its basic principles soon after it went mainstream. It became a place to voyeur, envy, and one up everyone you friended.
I am an alcoholic and knew I had addictive tendencies. Joining Facebook would have drove me to a mental institution.
Sadly, you can’t control what others do and I agree with you on wanting to keep things anonymous. It’s just not how some people are programmed. They need to be noticed, recognized, in the right group, at the right place, etc. — that’s how I see most chronic Facebook users. They all feel this need to be included and contributing even if it’s at the cost of others.
Never had Facebook, never will and we have a good life. Hoping for it to get better as I work on my sobriety. But that’s for us to handle as a family and with SR.
RIP Sweet Suki
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: In my sanctuary, my home
Posts: 39,908
Same here. I've never had a problem with facebook. I put no personal information in my profile and mainly have contacts with those in certain groups, like bald eagle groups or panda groups.
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Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 1,271
Facebook is fake.
I keep it around but I unfollowed most people except for my closest friends.
I think people who are posting how many days sober they are might be looking for congratulatory type attention. Just a guess. Or maybe they just need emotional support, but don't know how to ask for it.
I keep it around but I unfollowed most people except for my closest friends.
I think people who are posting how many days sober they are might be looking for congratulatory type attention. Just a guess. Or maybe they just need emotional support, but don't know how to ask for it.
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Join Date: May 2011
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 705
Meh, I actually like Facebook. My friends and family are literally scattered all over the world and I hate talking on the phone so it is a convenient way to keep up with new babies, jobs, moves etc. It can be fun and sure there are some folks that love drama but if you can just ignore that aspect or the folks fishing for compliments, its not always a bad thing.
Member
Join Date: Nov 2018
Posts: 5,169
I was on facebook for a short time. Then people I didn't know started showing up, friends of friends, and my wall became more irrelevant than relevant. Some of the stuff I agreed with, some not so much, but none of it seemed important. It was like having people I didn't know holding a meeting at my house discussing things I didn't care about. It was too much like noise, so I closed my account.
But then I also cut my cable and have lived without television for about the same amount of time. TV was a "noise issue" for me also. And the worst part of the noise was news. I was annoyed with news anchors and talking heads. Everyone had an opinion. Few had actual facts. The whole thing seemed like nonsense.
But then I also cut my cable and have lived without television for about the same amount of time. TV was a "noise issue" for me also. And the worst part of the noise was news. I was annoyed with news anchors and talking heads. Everyone had an opinion. Few had actual facts. The whole thing seemed like nonsense.
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Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: New Mexico
Posts: 1,339
Facebook has many potential problems, and I'm not fond of the company itself, either.
I have world-wide friends that I keep in touch with on FB as a primary means through a highly selective friends group and through private groups, and I enjoy even their filtered views of what they post.
As somebody with a chronic disease where the main support groups are on FB, it's a good source of sharing and information there for me.
Instagram and WhatsApp are owned by Facebook, and the company is planning on merging the communications platforms from those with its Messenger product.
I have world-wide friends that I keep in touch with on FB as a primary means through a highly selective friends group and through private groups, and I enjoy even their filtered views of what they post.
As somebody with a chronic disease where the main support groups are on FB, it's a good source of sharing and information there for me.
Instagram and WhatsApp are owned by Facebook, and the company is planning on merging the communications platforms from those with its Messenger product.
Member
Join Date: May 2018
Posts: 179
Most people on FB are keeping up with the Joneses. Some of my acquaintances who post the most happy, shiny pictures of themselves and their families are people I found out later are struggling and going through hardships.
Where it makes ME struggle is in comparing myself and my little family unfavorably to these perfect pictures of happy people in their perfect lives, even if I know that picture is a veneer hiding a sadder reality.
I stick with FB because it keeps me connected to people I would otherwise never see again. But I have to be mindful to limit my time on it (because it can be draining) and to not judge myself against what I see when I don't know the whole story.
That said, I honestly do sometimes resent the attention the artifice receives. I don't apologize for it, because we all struggle, whether we admit it or not. We're all sometimes guilty of veneer.
Where it makes ME struggle is in comparing myself and my little family unfavorably to these perfect pictures of happy people in their perfect lives, even if I know that picture is a veneer hiding a sadder reality.
I stick with FB because it keeps me connected to people I would otherwise never see again. But I have to be mindful to limit my time on it (because it can be draining) and to not judge myself against what I see when I don't know the whole story.
That said, I honestly do sometimes resent the attention the artifice receives. I don't apologize for it, because we all struggle, whether we admit it or not. We're all sometimes guilty of veneer.
Not Alone
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: South East UK
Posts: 1,513
Originally Posted by Realest
My faceboook is filled with my family, old friends, and people in AA. Lately I have been getting resentful at people on Facebook because this girl I know posts the amount on days they have sober, posts her phone number for people to call her if they need help. It’s seems to go against the anonymity and the attraction rather than promotion. It seems very boastful and egotistical and lacks humility. . Also I see peopel posting their day count but they don’t live clean. Plus the politics, drama, and basically it seems like peopel post their good moments only, does anyone else relate? I’m thinking about deleting it. Maybe I’m taking others inventory but it just reeks of ego.
Apart from being an incredibly creepy statement it essentially means that you can never really know someone elses recovery. It's their choice to do so and if they're proud of their clean time then fantastic, good for them. However, I personally wouldn't post stuff like that on any of my social media platforms.
Natom
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