February 20, 2026
From baby pics to bot babes?
Facebook is absolutely cooked
From baby pics to AI bait: users say the feed is broken, defenders say "you trained it that way"
TLDR: A returning user says Facebook’s News Feed is now AI bait and engagement sludge instead of friends’ posts. Commenters split between nostalgia, “you trained the algorithm” blame, and the idea that only Marketplace and Messenger still matter—raising the question of whether the core Facebook feed is already dead.
A lapsed user logs into Facebook after eight years and finds a feed stuffed with AI-looking thirst traps, slapdash skits, and weird engagement bait—plus Meta’s own suggested questions that come off, well, yikes. Only one legit post (an xkcd comic) shows up before the algorithm dives into “slop conveyor belt” mode. The kicker: some images looked disturbingly young, prompting a fast exit.
The comments lit up. Nostalgics like HoldOnAMinute mourn “Peak Facebook,” when it was baby photos, trips, and joy—no clout-chasing. Pragmatists fire back: mgiampapa insists social media is what you make of it, arguing if you don’t click and curate, the algorithm serves the lowest-common denominator. Meanwhile, survivalists admit they’re only still on it for Marketplace deals and boomer-filled neighborhood groups. One commenter even dropped a trader’s zinger: “Short FCBK.”
The real drama isn’t just “Facebook is cooked,” it’s who’s to blame. Is the core News Feed—the product that built modern social media—rotting, or are users starving it of good signals? BoredPositron wants to see daily-active-users who actually scroll the feed (not Messenger or Marketplace), basically asking: does anyone still use the main dish? The meme-ification is complete—“from family album to AI gooniverse”—and the community can’t decide if that’s an algorithm problem or a you problem.
Key Points
- •The author returned to Facebook after about eight years and checked the News Feed.
- •Aside from one followed xkcd post, the feed mostly showed content from non-followed accounts.
- •Much of the recommended content appeared to be AI-generated, including sexualized images and an AI-like feel-good video.
- •Facebook presented suggested questions for asking its AI about a video post.
- •Visible AI artifacts (nonsensical text, distorted logos) were used to identify likely AI-generated images, prompting the author to stop using the platform.