Facebook: familiarity breeds contempt

Thought I would start off as I mean to go on - with a grumpy post all about Facebook. I've been on Facebook a while now, couldn't say how long must have been a couple of years now. Like everyone else it was brilliant at first - it was an exciting innovation that seemed to fill a previously uncatered need. It was fun adding friends and having an easy, quick way to catch up with people and send messages. No longer was losing your phone an issue - it doesn't matter - everyone's on FB. Suddenly e-mail looked so old and out-of-date. Having been on a round-the-world trip, Facebook was brilliant. When you meet people and got on well with them one of the first things you asked was "Are you on Facebook?" It was great way to keep in touch, and for that matter it still is. However, it's all got a bit boring now and I know I'm not alone in coming to this conclusion. If you were to plot Facebook on the product life cycle (I know I'm a geek) it would most definitely be in its maturity stage. People are already looking to something new.

For me, Facebook works well when people post interesting or amusing thoughts, videos or pictures. I, for example, usually attempt to be witty in a characteristically self-deprecating manner. Being of a grumpy nature, one of my pet hates is people posting how happy they are. I don't want to know how much fun everyone else is having. I want to know what an equally mediocre and depressing time everyone else is having. I can't abide updates such as "I'm loving it" as my good friend recently wrote to which I had to reply "I'm bloody not". Honestly. I'd like to hear updates such as "I had a crap day today, got really pissed off. Look forward to similar misery tomorrow."

Oh and the 'like' button on Facebook. Don't get me started on that. If it's not bad enough to hear a sickeningly positive and cheerful message about how wonderful someone's day is, you're then subjected to the acknowledgment of other equally smug and happy people who appreciate their happy musings. It makes me want to smash my laptop into small pieces. I want a 'loathe' button.

It's not just happy people (incidentally in general not just on Facebook) that annoy me. It's the inane status updates such as "So bored, off to the cinema". Hateful. And then there are the cryptic updates should as "Should I or shouldn't I?" No you bloody shouldn't, now piss off.