Life in a Fishbowl – You Don't Have to Post Everything that Comes into Your Head!

Social media has become such an integral part of our lives. Nearly everyone is on Facebook or Twitter, so much so that we often regard those that aren't with some form of skepticism or wariness. Even my parents have Facebook accounts, and what might have seemed strange a few years ago is now the norm. We crave connections to others, and social media has made that easier than ever.

For some, Facebook and Twitter are a voyeuristic paradise. Checking in on old flames or former cohorts often helps to define our own status in life ("Well, at least I haven't gained as much weight as so-and-so!", or "Boy, she sure parties a lot! And at HER age too!"). Sometimes, we live vicariously through our Facebook friends who seem to have more interesting lives. I have a friend whose job involves a great deal of international travel, and I often check his posts to see where he's off to this week. I know I may never get to see the places he visits - my chosen lifestyle does not permit that at this point - so it's nice to see other parts of the world from the perspective of someone that I know.

For some, however, social media becomes an outlet for every thought, comment, photo, or interest that might be happening at any given moment. I'm sure you have Facebook friends who post the most banal status updates, telling the world what they just ate, or the funny thing their cat just did. These folks have been around since before the internet, but in the past, we could turn off the mindless chatter simply by walking away, or the old standby, “Oops! I've got someone on the other line – can I call you back?” These days their updates demand attention as they flood our News Feed, cluttering up the bandwidth with a desperate cry for attention. And isn't that just what it is?

There are so many people for whom social media provides the attention they so crave. There is no one specific personality type that tends toward this crying out for attention, although there are some common personality traits. Chief among these is a need to be validated. For many of these serial boring status posters, there is precious little validation in their day-to-day lives that they seek it on the 'net. From the simple pedantic status updates to the more insistent and cryptic messages that beg for a response (“Can't believe I had to go through all THAT for so little! FML!”), these folks cry out to be noticed. They need to know that they matter to the numerous “friends” they keep on Facebook, or their droves of followers on Twitter. This passive-aggressive attention-whoring can wear down even the most stalwart media socialite. At least Facebook has a “Hide all posts by...” option, so that I don't have to read all that, although, I have had a few good laughs over some of the more cryptic pleas for attention. I simply imagine that the person posting a vague status has just stepped out of a bathroom and loudly announced that status to the room. Try it – it's funny.

Lately, a new trend of social media “noise” has become fashionable – the “like” or “share” trawlers. You've seen them, posting or sharing photos of the troops, or sick kids, or some person who lives in such squalor that it almost hurts to look at them. Along with the photo is some description of how awful this person's life is, or how brave this soldier is, with the plea that “1 like equals 1 respect” or “1 share equals one pray”. First of all, grammar notwithstanding (what the heck is a “pray” anyway?), these posts are the lowest form of pimping – I mean, who DOESN'T respect the brave men and women that defend our interests in foreign lands? Putting a photo that is clearly provocative out there is bad enough, but adding the implication that somehow, if I don't click “like” or “share”, I'm AGAINST the troops or poor malnourished children, or whatever, well, that's just low!

It turns out, however, that many of these pages that we are encouraged to “like” or “share” are not legitimate at all (shocker!). It has become common practice for those with an eye for a quick buck to start a page with a bogus story, acquire as many fans of that page as possible, and then sell that page to some business for a tidy sum. Why would anyone want to buy something like that? Instant marketing. Simply target your ads at all of the people that like that page, and you're bound to hook a few. It's worth the expense. Personally, I get enough SPAM email – I don't need more of it coming through my social media pages.

Please don't misunderstand, I'm a big fan of social media. Facebook has helped me to stay connected to people that might well have slipped out of sight and mind. Living far from most of my family, I value the ease of being able to keep up with what everyone is into these days, and it's nice to be able to share photos of our lives with the people that truly care about them. Social media has some wonderful potential and has helped connect us in ways I could only have dreamed of when I was younger. Perhaps the generation below me will have more patience for the mindless clutter I see in my news feed daily. Call me old fashioned, but I just don't have the time for it.