Facebook, You’re Such a Nag

Or Why writers Should All Say No to Constant Content

I don’t know about you, but I manage several groups and pages on Facebook, and one constant source of annoyance is the notifications that my readers haven’t heard from me in awhile. The only thing more annoying are the ones telling me a post is performing better, so I should pay Facebook to advertise it.

Let’s consider the logic here. Facebook’s business model is to get people on their platform because we enjoy sharing our news with others. But that isn’t enough for them. They know they have billions of free content creators, so they constantly remind us that they need us to create the news, entertainment, memes, personality quizzes, challenges, and other mindlessness that will keep their users coming back. Then they use algorithms to control what we see and convince us that we need to pay for ads, so our posts will stand out from all the drivel. They act like drug pushers, luring us in, then creating a need that will sustain their business. But the drug isn’t even real.

As a writer, I resent anyone who tries to get me to create content for free. If I’m going to do that (like I do on this blog), I want to do it on my own term and my own schedule. Often, I’m busy and don’t have time for Facebook. Or (like this week) I’m on vacation and don’t want to work, though I may respond to emails, etc. Or there simply isn’t anything I need to tell my “readers.” I want the content of these pages to be useful, informative, and timely. When the people who like my pages see my content, I want it to be something they want to read, not something they choose to ignore, so I resist Facebook’s near constant reminders.

Twitter, for all it’s flaws, is much better in this regard. It is more laissez faire. Twitter could care less when you post or even whether you post at all. Yes, you can buy an ad, but Twitter doesn’t seem to give a hoot whether you do or not. Maybe they’re just that much bigger than their immature rival or maybe it’s part because of their lawless culture. Lawlessness has it’s own issues, but in this regard, it creates a more positive environment for writers.

I want to guard my time and to create time for my own writing. Rather than writing a post so Facebook can profit, I’d rather write a poem. I want to use social media on my terms, go there for the information I want, and provide content when it suits my needs, not so Facebook can profit coming and going. Until Facebook comes up with a model that pays writers for their content (don’t hold your breath), we should all be very judicious about the time we spend there, and we should ignore the nagging call to create more free content than suits our needs.

Facebook, I’ll write on my page when I’m damn good and ready. It’s more important for me to write a poem or hang out with my nieces and nephews or visit with my mother. Life is more important than Facebook, and my writing is mine. I’ll give it to the world on my terms and in my own time.