You might open Facebook to see a photo of your grandchild, check what is happening in your local community or catch up with an old friend. Ten minutes later, you find yourself reading an argument between two complete strangers about politics, wondering why someone you barely know has posted yet another alarming story, and asking yourself how you ended up here in the first place.
Facebook can be a wonderful way to stay connected, but it can also feel noisy, repetitive and occasionally exhausting. The good news is you don’t have to accept everything Facebook puts in front of you. With a little understanding of how the platform works, and a few simple changes to the way you use it, you can make Facebook feel much more like your Facebook.
Understanding the algorithm
One reason your Facebook feed can seem so unpredictable is the algorithm. If you’ve heard the term but aren’t quite sure what it means, an algorithm is essentially a set of instructions used by Facebook to decide which posts to show you and in what order. Rather than simply displaying every new post from every person, page or group you follow, Facebook looks at your activity and tries to predict what you might find interesting. If you regularly watch gardening videos, for example, you may start seeing more gardening content. If you often comment on posts about current affairs, you may be shown more of those too.
The system also pays attention to how much engagement a post receives. Content attracting lots of likes, comments and shares may be more likely to appear in people’s feeds, which can sometimes give controversial or provocative posts a surprising amount of visibility. The more you interact with a particular type of content, the more Facebook may assume you want to see it. In other words, your feed is partly shaped by what you choose to click on, watch and discuss.
Take control of your feed
Facebook gives you more control than you might realise. If you have a Facebook friend whose posts you find irritating, you don’t necessarily need to unfriend them. You can unfollow them by clicking the three dots on one of their posts and selecting Unfollow [name], which keeps you connected while removing their posts from your feed. You can also choose to ‘Snooze’ them for 30 days if you simply need a break, or select Hide post when you don’t want to see something similar again. You can adjust your feed preferences through Settings & privacy if you’d like to see more from particular people and pages. If your Facebook experience has become increasingly negative, it may simply be time for a little digital housekeeping.
Find your Facebook community
One of the best ways to make Facebook more enjoyable is to look beyond your main feed and explore Groups. There are communities for almost every interest imaginable, from gardening and photography to classic cars, genealogy, travel, books, cooking and crafts. You can also find groups based around your local area, where people share information about community events, local activities, lost pets, road conditions and recommendations for everything from tradespeople to good places for lunch.
Finding groups is relatively simple. Use the search bar at the top of Facebook and type in a subject, hobby or location, then select the Groups option from the search results. Look at the group’s description and recent posts before joining. An active group with friendly discussions and useful information is likely to be a much better experience than one filled with arguments or endless advertising. If you join a group and quickly discover it isn’t for you, you can always leave.
Local groups can be particularly valuable for people who have recently moved to a new neighbourhood or want to become more involved in their community. They can help you discover clubs, markets, classes and events you might otherwise never hear about. Interest-based groups can provide a sense of connection, especially if you have a hobby or passion which isn’t widely shared among your friends and family. In the best cases, Facebook becomes less about scrolling through a stream of random opinions and more about finding people who share your interests.
You don’t have to join every argument
Of course, Facebook arguments are difficult to avoid entirely. Someone will always have an opinion, and someone else will always disagree with it. Before jumping into a heated exchange, it is worth asking yourself whether you genuinely want to spend part of your day arguing with a stranger. You don’t have to correct every post, respond to every comment or defend your point of view every time someone disagrees with you. Sometimes the simplest way to win a Facebook argument is not to have it.
Pause before you share
It is also worth developing a healthy scepticism about what you see. Facebook makes it remarkably easy for information to travel quickly, whether it is accurate or not. Before sharing a dramatic story, an alarming health claim or a post announcing some shocking piece of news, take a moment to consider where it came from. Look for a reliable source and see whether other reputable organisations are reporting the same thing. Posts designed to make you instantly angry or frightened deserve an extra moment of scrutiny before you press Share.
A quick word about scams
Scams are another reason to keep your wits about you, although a few simple precautions can go a long way. Be wary of unexpected friend requests, messages asking for money, fake competitions and investment opportunities promising easy returns. If a message appears to come from a friend who suddenly needs urgent financial help, contact them by phone or another method before doing anything. A little caution can prevent a great deal of trouble.
Make Facebook work for you
Ultimately, Facebook can be whatever you make of it. It can be a place to keep up with family, reconnect with old friends, find a local walking group, share gardening tips or discover what is happening in your community. It can also be a place where you waste half an hour reading arguments which have nothing to do with you.
The trick is to remember you have a choice. You can unfollow the accounts which irritate you, seek out groups which interest you, scroll past arguments and question sensational claims before sharing them. Facebook may decide what appears in your feed, but you still get to decide what deserves your attention. And sometimes, a little less drama is all it takes to make social media feel social again.