5 or 50 Kinds of Drivel on FaceBook That Can Drive You Crazy

         
          Most of the posts I see on FaceBook make me cringe. Some of them make me want to scream.
Then there are the posts that offer motivational sayings. They never motivate me to do anything except to avoid posting similar wisdoms. Many of them post a political viewpoint. I won't even post an example - we've all seen them, and they are disturbing to many of us. 
          Other posts are express a religious viewpoint (almost always Christian) or implore the reader to pray for something. Worse yet, they might say "Share if You Love God." I don't think God cares if I share such a message on Facebook, so I don't share those posts.
         Every child belonging in some way to a FaceBook member is the smartest, the most beautiful, the most athletic, or the most charming, of course. If that isn't enough, readers are constantly reminded why we love our daughters, our sons, our parents and our grandparents, and we are expected to share those reasons if we agree. I wonder how many people who disagree share anyway? Some, I imagine. I might agree with the posts, but don't share what I think is drivel. 

        There are posts that document a weight-loss battle. "I Lost 7 oz. today" or "I ran around the block this morning in the RAIN." Even more ridiculous are the ones that list how many inches he or she has lost on various parts of the body.  I'm sorry, but I don't want to know how much some guy has lost around his thighs.        
         Other posts offer to test my IQ (I already know what it is), my personality, my grammar, which Star Trek character I am, or what city in California I should represent. If there is anyone who believes these tests have any merit, trust me, they are not scientific. I could never be Spock. Then there are the posts that offer motivational sayings. They never motivate me to do anything except to avoid posting similar wisdoms.

       The largest percentage of posts tell me what I supposedly do not know, or a reaction I will have.

• 15 Things You Didn't Know About (insert name of a movie or TV show). This is stated as though I needed to know these 15 things. I've actually looked at a couple of things and I did, for some strange reason, know about 8 of those things.
• 10 Celebrities who have pronounced signs of aging (don't we all), or 8 Celebrities who have had dental work (thank heavens).
• 20 Ways to Improve Your Eating Habits. I haven't looked at this one, and I suppose this is the one that I should read.
•  A story that will make me cry. Why would I want to cry?
•  10 Scary Facts that Will Make You Pee in Your Pants. Oh, good! I just logged onto FaceBook hoping I would find something that would make me pee in my pants. I wonder, should I read them all at one sitting, or should I read one a day?
•  20 Ways that Dogs are Better Than Cats, or 20 Ways that Cats are Better Than Dogs. I suppose I should expect to someday also find 20 Ways that Monkeys are Better Than Pigs.

So - after all this complaining, why am I on FaceBook? Because there are some posts that I do like to read, including funny stories, information about my community, information about a friend or relative I haven't seen for months, some recipes, and occasionally an off-color joke or cartoon (an admission I didn't want to make, but I'm trying to be honest).

I joined FaceBook because I think it's a nice way to connect with friends and relatives that I seldom see. I like the private message capabilities of FaceBook because it's often easier than finding someone's email address. Finally, it's a nice break from concentration and tasks of the day.