Wednesday, February 1, 2017

How Facebook Works: Hide, Unfollow, Stay Friends

Facebook is the social media people love to hate these days: you love your sister's photos of her vacation to the Poconos, but you hate the Puppy Bowl videos that clog your feed.

So, how do you stop seeing stuff in your feed that you don't want to see but still stay friends with, say, Mom or Karen or Uncle Phil? 

Facebook has given users the magic arrow to control the news feed. 

To the right of the friend's name is a V-shaped arrow. If you click on it, you see a drop-down menu:



If the post was originated by the friend, you will have the these options:



If you don't like what you see, hide the post.

If you never like what you see from that person, unfollow that person. They will be none the wiser. 

Now, what happens if someone shares something originally published by another source, and you don't like it? Again, use the magic arrow:


Now, you have more choices:


Check out that a third option: hide all from that third party. Rest assured, no more unwanted Puppy Bowl videos will litter your feed.

Now, you could try viewing only the information you want (such as the photos from your sister's vacation). You also could unfriend those whose feeds disturb or upset you.

If, however, you do not wish to exercise those options, consider controlling your feed using the tools Facebook has provided. It's quick and easy, and taking that action may make your Facebook experience more pleasant.

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