I agree. in my opinion, i believe it may also enable unhealthy relationship patterns, or stunt emotional growth; things that may not have originated had the user never engaged. sadly, not engaging is stigmatized too, complicating matters especially for young ones concerned about their impression.

for example, when i used fb for a time it bothered me that there was stigma against "unfriending". I would frequently make new accounts and remember feeling guilt for doing so.

Eventually ditched it permanently about 5 years ago. Friends from my mid 20s seemed to keep it around as entertainment (waiting for others to embarrass themselves in everyday updates, trolling groups, stalking for conversation topics) and self comparison. they claimed, "we only use it ironically lol" and no longer planned events through it, shared photos or life stories, etc.

It was gross and I feared I'd become a target when I had the account. I used to check my feed just to make sure I was still "cool" with everyone. I was bullied as a child and went through emotional trauma so sadly I was a great target for an all-day everyday user.

Eventually I couldn't handle the pressure, and disagreed with fb's 'vision' (ads) and privacy policies so I refused to use it. first year after doing so i was upset that "nobody kept in touch outside of the fb platform". much later, i am grateful they didnt, as I'm in a wildly different place in my life. I would not be where I am now had I not moved on from those toxic, enabling relationships. Obviously this is not the case for everyone, but I wanted to share my perspective.

Mindblowing to me that parents allow use of the platform to children. when I was legally an adult I didn't possess the mental capacity to take a step back and question what I got out of the site, placing "importance of friendship and loyalty" above my own feelings. I cannot begin to fathom how the platform would have twisted my thinking, and relationships, and sense of self as a child or even teen. given the suspicion (or reality) that other relationships get devalued over time, won't the "relationship" with one's own ego/self image will get devalued as well with continued use?

I hope there is some way to educate children and teens about the mental/social/behavioral implications of using social media -- or even different levels of involvement. but I don't know if that should be in school syllabus or the responsibility of the parents. perhaps both?

My post got longer than intended, sorry! I am very passionate about the subject

Relationships thrive when time and effort are invested. Facebook is a platform for replacing traditional investment vehicles with significantly smaller, if much more convenient, investments - and to show you ads. Thus while Facebook can yield strong short-term returns, it is a bad choice for people who want large, long-term, returns from their personal relationships.

Consider for example friends and family you talk to over the phone, go out drinking with, have parties with, have lunch with, etc., as compared to those whose cat pictures you just looked at on your phone.

That's how I look at it at least.

Agreed. I have effectively quit Facebook: I log on once a year to reconnect with people I never talk to anymore, and subsequently remember exactly why it is that I never talk to them anymore!

It's both a great way to keep in touch and also a great way to waste time. It's a useful communication/relationship tool buried in layers of addictive signaling and ads.