> only use messenger and occasionally upvote someone's birthday
If someone means little enough to you that this is how you wish them a happy birthday, maybe you shouldn't bother at all. If they mean something to you, pick up a phone and call them.
All you're accomplishing, is helping Facebook encourage that person to continue using it by giving them that little dopamine hit from your "upvote".
If people looked at Facebook "birthday wishes" for what they are, they'd be seen as a negative.
"This person put in as much effort wishing me happy birthday as random people on reddit do upvoting cat memes"
You have a good point and it was more to say I don't really use it anymore, so maybe bad example but;
> If they mean something to you, pick up a phone and call them
that is nonsense imho; calling is also nothing (I also don't see the difference between calling and chatting) (ah, I mean so much to you, you couldn't be bothered to get off your couch). If they mean something you meet them; people important to me I fly out to go to their birthdays, weddings, divorces and funerals.
But yes you have do have a good point in general which I agree with.
> > If they mean something to you, pick up a phone and call them
> that is nonsense imho; calling is also nothing (I also don't see the difference between calling and chatting) (ah, I mean so much to you, you couldn't be bothered to get off your couch). If they mean something you meet them; people important to me I fly out to go to their birthdays, weddings, divorces and funerals.
I agree with you, and probably chose the wrong example/wording to get my point across. My point was just that you'd put more effort in for people you care about.
Removing my birthday from facebook a few years back was a very enlightening experience. I went from ~100 people wishing me a happy birthday to probably 5.
If someone means little enough to you that this is how you wish them a happy birthday, maybe you shouldn't bother at all. If they mean something to you, pick up a phone and call them.
All you're accomplishing, is helping Facebook encourage that person to continue using it by giving them that little dopamine hit from your "upvote".
If people looked at Facebook "birthday wishes" for what they are, they'd be seen as a negative.
"This person put in as much effort wishing me happy birthday as random people on reddit do upvoting cat memes"