LookAtThisPOst Posted August 2, 2016 Share Posted August 2, 2016 Rather recently, due to the obvious upcoming election...I've seen quite a few postings via my friends on FB stating that they had someone unfriend THEM due to an argument they had with regarding their supported presidential candidate. "My friend unfriended me because I had a valid argument in what she posted." And this, dead serious, this woman said this, "If I FIND OUT you voted Trump, be either my friend or family member (yes, family member), you'll be ostracized!" I paraphrased it, but it had something to do with cutting ties with both friends and family members. I think I posted something along the lines of unfriendings, and someone even took objection to that. I actually had a left winger and a right winger get into an argument on MY thread that I just left behind...I could laugh and say, "I went and got popcorn" but in a sense, is it really funny? Thoughts? Some have admitted they'll unfriend you REGARDLESS of " how long I’ve known you or how close we are." 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Art_Critic Posted August 2, 2016 Share Posted August 2, 2016 IMO, your FB page isn't for discussing Politics.. it's too easy for people to offend and be offended. The last Election cycle I had unfriended a couple of people because of Political FB rants that went beyond the occasional mention. It wasn't the arguments, it was just the fact they were using FB to shove their viewpoint down others throats simply because it shows up in your feed and to me that is pretty rude... I have recently added a couple of people to not show up on my news feed not because of Politics but because all they do is brag on a daily basis about their material possessions.. home.. boat, where they travel to etc etc... and it gets reallllllyyyyyyy old fast... I didn't unfriend them because they are my wife's friends and doing so would cause a rift... 2 Link to post Share on other sites
Author LookAtThisPOst Posted August 2, 2016 Author Share Posted August 2, 2016 IMO, your FB page isn't for discussing Politics.. Are you sure about that, because my FB feed is loaded with rants from my friends I had to unfollow (not unfriend). I didn't unfriend them because they are my wife's friends and doing so would cause a rift... Do what I do and just unfollow, not unfriend...no rift to worry about there. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
preraph Posted August 2, 2016 Share Posted August 2, 2016 You know, talking politics or similar is one big reason why I can't do broad social media like FB. There are some things that should only be discussed around the kitchen table. And yet, I do have my causes I'm passionate about and I want to work on them through social media, but I've been lucky to have a Twitter account that only my sister and one friend are on, besides random people. And I have banned my sister before. I've refused another old friend from joining it because she tends to mine one's contacts and start hitting on them. It's all very tricky and I'm not going to wrestle with it. I would prefer something like FB but which can be done without a real name and where no one can see your contacts if you don't want them to. Twitter is kind of good because by replying to some media or using a hashtag, you can get your message out without most people you know seeing you unless they happen to also be following the same media or hashtag. I'm glad I'm past the age where I feel I'd ever be looking for a new job because if I thought I was, I wouldn't be on social media at all -- which would also be a strike against me, so it's a no-win situation to do with job hunting, I'm afraid. Once you sign that little paper saying they can do background, they are free to see everything in your name. 2 Link to post Share on other sites
salparadise Posted August 2, 2016 Share Posted August 2, 2016 I don't see anything at all wrong with unfriending or unfollowing people who post political crap on FB. It's annoying as hell, and this election cycle really sorts people into two distinct groups. I've probably unfriended twenty percent over the past several months. Close friends or relatives get unfollowed instead, but those are pretty rare. I am careful to never post that crap myself, and I'm simply not going to be subjected to daily drivel by a bunch of Trumpeteers. It's that simple. Why do you think that's weird? 3 Link to post Share on other sites
Author LookAtThisPOst Posted August 2, 2016 Author Share Posted August 2, 2016 I don't see anything at all wrong with unfriending or unfollowing people who post political crap on FB. It's annoying as hell, and this election cycle really sorts people into two distinct groups. I've probably unfriended twenty percent over the past several months. Close friends or relatives get unfollowed instead, but those are pretty rare. I am careful to never post that crap myself, and I'm simply not going to be subjected to daily drivel by a bunch of Trumpeteers. It's that simple. Why do you think that's weird? Because some have admitted that they would ostracize their own families in REAL life. Not weird, but just sad. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Bialy Posted August 3, 2016 Share Posted August 3, 2016 I hate both candidates and never use FB as a platform to spout out my political views. I unfollowed a friend of mine because he has been on overdrive with pro-Hillary stuff. He was clogging my newsfeed. He was recently unfriended by an old friend from high school and he posted about it--- it really stung to discover that and he has toned down the amount of posts. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Satu Posted August 3, 2016 Share Posted August 3, 2016 Politics in the US is driven entirely by hate. What you're seeing on Facebook is a low grade manifestation of that animosity. *********************************** Here is your ballot paper: If you hate Trump, check this box [ ] If you hate Clinton, check this box [ ] Thank you for voting. *********************************** 2 Link to post Share on other sites
Shanex Posted August 3, 2016 Share Posted August 3, 2016 Yeah, of course I've seen that happen and I was guilty of it too, when I was still on FB. The thing is, any sane minded (open minded too) people don't chose their friends according to their political beliefs but some political rants and memes I had read became unbearable and I had to delete some people for extremism, or rather stupidity. Maybe FB shouldn't be a political platform but not everybody use forums anymore, so there's that medium (social media) called FB where bickering between even close friends happens over political posts. 2 Link to post Share on other sites
gorf Posted August 3, 2016 Share Posted August 3, 2016 (edited) Great, let people rant, block you, push you out of their life cause of an election or something said on freakin fb. I say good. Someone like that is doing you a favor! You dont need someone like that in your life Edited August 3, 2016 by gorf Better detail Link to post Share on other sites
central Posted August 3, 2016 Share Posted August 3, 2016 A lot of the political stuff is very annoying, particularly when it is extremely biased, or even manufactured lies (I've fact checked some of these carefully, and some truly is false propaganda without any truth). Rather than unfriend someone on fb (and in real life), I've blocked having their posts show up on my feed - at least until after the election. Some are good people, except when it comes to politics! Well, I'd like to believe that, but I'm beginning to wonder when they know some of this stuff is an outright lie and continue to post more of it. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Art_Critic Posted August 3, 2016 Share Posted August 3, 2016 Maybe FB shouldn't be a political platform but not everybody use forums anymore, so there's that medium (social media) called FB where bickering between even close friends happens over political posts. The problem is that the forums aren't your closest friends and family, just strangers... They have a captive audience in their fronds list to get their thoughts out to and honestly who wants to hear someones thoughts every day. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Shanex Posted August 3, 2016 Share Posted August 3, 2016 The problem is that the forums aren't your closest friends and family, just strangers... Yes that's where I'm getting at. It's best to 'fight' over political issues on political forums where you debate with strangers rather than bickering with your close friends and even family. I recall a beef with a cousin over an election some years back, but he's a cousin and we forgot about it after a while. Ultimately our ''true'' friends and family on FB are more important than random Internet users, and forums where can share our thought on such and such candidates with no accountability. The main difference between forums and social medias being that the former are being moderated, whereas FB regulate itself as it can. Link to post Share on other sites
basil67 Posted August 3, 2016 Share Posted August 3, 2016 I've deleted people for sharing things which I find hateful and divisive. Why be friends with someone who isn't nice inside? Link to post Share on other sites
sam light Posted August 4, 2016 Share Posted August 4, 2016 Politics and religion are subjects best avoided with casual friends. This particular election is perhaps the most divisive in my lifetime. Nothing is moderate, it's either hardcore left, or hardcore Right. If you must post your views on FB, use another name. There, I skillfully avoided saying who I support. Link to post Share on other sites
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