by Tamika Burgess
“What’s on your mind?” It’s asked to us every time we log onto Facebook. This question can be answered in any manner or left blank. But, there are those people who answer the question and update their status the same way every time. There’s the ever-changing relationship status and hurt feelings update, “Me and him are so over!” The Facebook philosopher/inspirer, “Yesterday is the past, tomorrow is the future, and today is a gift.” And then there are those Facebook updates that cause you to question why you ever added that person as a friend in the first place.
This was the case when I logged onto Facebook one day and saw a friend request from Rita. After accepting her request I noticed my timeline was filled with status updates from her. Rita was one of those many people who update their status with every single detail of their entire day. “On my way to work,” “work is so boring today,” what should I have for lunch?” By 5pm I knew everything about Rita’s day, yet she still continued to update throughout the night.
I couldn’t figure out why Rita found it necessary to share everything she did, every hour. I look at what my Facebook friends say as being significant. So when status updates become trivial and ridiculous my automatic response is annoyance.
Like with Allison and her sympathy seeking updates. Her updates always have me asking myself, “Is she crying out for attention?” Allison’s statuses usually consisted of “After going through that I’m looking on the bright side,” or “This is the first night I broke down,” and her ever so popular, “I’m deleting my Facebook page!” I really can’t stand when people put stuff on Facebook in an obvious attempt at gaining sympathy. It makes me want to post a comment on their page saying “grow up!”
When I see Allison’s updates it seems like she wants people to pity her. And Rita’s updates make her seem like she wants people to know her every thought and think she is fun. I don’t understand why they would seek out this type of validation on Facebook.
My Facebook friends’ constant need to share certain things is really unnecessary, and sometime I find it to be inappropriate. I think Facebook should be a lighthearted place where people post interesting and broad information. Keeping my Facebook page lighthearted is my preference and I enjoy the statuses of my Facebook friends that do the same. Life is already so serious; Facebook should be somewhat of an escape, not a downer.
But I understand everyone does not think of Facebook the same way I do so I have to stop being bothered by their updates. Plus, my reasons for posting certain information on Facebook are probably different than others.
A perfect example of this is people who update their status with information about their child or the progress of their pregnancy. I am really not that interested in the fact that baby Jimmy is teething or that Sarah is so much more advanced than other two year olds. These happy parents are most likely updating their statuses for their family members, not me. And even though I don’t think constant information about their child’s growth is necessary, they may see it as important information that needs to be shared.
I could easily end my problem by deleting the people with annoying status updates. But that does not change the fact that I already read their previous updates and have formed an opinion about them.
When dealing with different social networking sites it’s important to remember that everyone is using their page for different reasons. I’m sure we all get bothered by people’s posts on Facebook but it’s important to remember we may not be their intended audience.
We never know who someone’s status update is intended for. It’s their page, so they can update it whenever and however they want to. I will try to keep this in mind the next time the T.M.I. person gives me way more information than I would have liked to receive.
Interested in learning more about Facebook etiquette, check out Before You Post: What Would Your Abuelita Say?
Tamika Burgess is a freelance writer and a blogger. Currently living in Brooklyn, NY, Tamika was born and raised in Southern California. As a freelance writer, Tamika’s work has been featured on various sites, including The Well Versed and 212Access. Her work is also featured on her blog, The Essence of Me.