the rules about facebook profile pictures

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By profile pic, I'm referring to the main picture that identifies you on facebook.

While usually I have a rule about making sure my facebook profile picture is one of myself, so that people who search me know who I am by looking at it, currently it is a picture of my cat, since I'm trying to get her adopted/rehomed.

What I don't understand is why so many people use group pictures for their facebook profile pic. Like, a picture of them and several other people. If someone was searching for you, how would they know which one you were when faced with your profile? I'm not a huge stickler for this rule, though, because my picture currently is not of myself either.

But why do people do it? Is it a social thing? Putting up a picture of you in a group of people advertises that you're a social/popular person?

And what are the rules about who you can use? If a person puts up a profile picture and it's them and you, are you expected to feel flattered? Included? Social? If you wanted to put up a profile picture of yourself in a group of people, should you worry what the other people in the picture will think of that decision?

And last but not least, why does it seem so easy for people to just throw up a pic of them and their friends, and it's so hard for me to grasp this?

I don't know either. I always wonder why people like to take pictures of themselves posing with another person doing silly poses or silly faces and then post them as their profile pics. I'm sure it's some NT social thing we don't get.

I don't want people to find me though. I don't even use my real name on there, and my pic is a troll doll.

I barely use it anymore, but I agree. I just use a picture of myself only.

I've never understood that either. I've never wanted to put up a group shot, of course, I don't have any friends so it doesn't matter.

My pic is my cat too. I feel weird about the idea of seeing my photo in icon form everywhere. I dont really like having it as my avatar either. I dont know why.

My pic is an ellipses ._. I hate having my pic taken, it's a confidence thing. People post pics of themselves looking really happy/cool/funny, I don't think I can get any of those emotions in a pic, I hardly feel them anyway.

I don't understand the group shot as profile pic thing either, and I find it annoying when it's cropped so that I only see half of people's faces.

Personally, I normally don't like having a picture of myself as my profile pic.

I actually noticed too, they all just popped out of nowhere quite fast, my picture is Hotel Bowser. xD

"Look at me, I have lots of friends and I am popular!"

Ego masturbation.

The only other reason I can think of is if it was a fun time and you wanted to remember it.

There's a picture of me with my siblings that was taken a few Christmases ago, and my sister changed her profile picture to that photo a while ago, and when I asked her why she said it was because she missed us.

People probably do that with the intention of attracting more people to their profile. They hope to come across as silly and fun so that they'll have better luck socializing with their friends on Facebook.

That's just my theory.

There's a prominent social undercurrent to Facebook. That is "make sure you/your profile displays the best, most positive aspects of your life."

So, it's like high school.
If you have a group of friends - advertise that with pictures!
If you go to parties and clubs and look popular - advertise that with pictures!
If you have a wonderful husband and you go to fun/exotic/exciting places together - advertise that with pictures!
If you have kids, do exciting activities with them that could possibly be envied by others - advertise that with pictures!

The hidden goal of Facebook is to show others the very best parts of your life.
Nobody wants to advertise the negative.

That's not because there IS no negative. Everyone has negative. Boring nights. Husband working won't come home. Kids being irritable monsters. Feeling lonely can't get a date.

But who wants to hear about that? No one.
So people keep their profiles and pages as positive as possible.
And that's why you see the 'group' pictures. It shows that 'hey, I have friends, I go out, I have fun. My life is positive".

It's all about image and trying to see the positive in your life.

The only things you will see my profile picture as are:

- My Axel plushie
- Myself (rarely)
- My boyfriend
- An anime picture.

To be honest, I lack self confidence so I don't always like having a picture of myself as my profile pic. I really don't expect people to find me because my facebook is private and only for friends I love and trust; along with my boyfriend. I think some people just like being in the comfort of friends they love and trust. But group pictures, I'm not really sure.

Group photos:

A lot of times, people will know the other people in the photo, and if the person you are looking for is in the photo, what are the chances of someone else in the photo having the exact same name as the person you are looking for?

Mine is currently a picture with one other person, who is male, and I'm a female and my name is a name that only a female could have, a male wouldn't. So they would know it was me.

Maybe, and stay with me here, just maybe they use those photos because they like them and the people that they were with? I am not fond of taking photos because I never know what to do or how to smile, but I do tend to like photos that have been taken without warning where I am laughing with a person and/or making a silly face. If I had a scanner, I would probably used one of those as my profile pic and then tag myself so that there would be no confusion. I actually find it weird to take standard bathroom photos of oneself and post them. I'm not that into myself...