Yes, I'm referring to social media. I like it just as much as the next person. I like the personalisation, the speed, the accuracy and the ease of communication. But I think a lot of readers will agree that some persons really overdo it.
Some persons are sunk and will never want a way out. Now Reader, I have no intentions of bashing social media, fear not. What I'm saying is that individuals should never jump into anything with both feet and both eyes closed. I don't think Facebook is worth billions of dollars because Zuckerberg cares that you want to go out but its raining.
Personally, it creeped me out when Facebook updated and now requests that when I post something I should say where I was and who I was with. Isn't that a bit too much information?
I think that whatever the reason for the profitability of social media, it also develops a culture of narcissism. The culture of everything being about me and what I care about and what I'm doing and who my friends are and me me me. I know that your opinions on stuff are valuable- so valuable that marketing companies are paid to collect them.
In addition to that, while we think of it all as harmless, somebody seems to see the bigger picture because companies are paying a whole of of money to get their logos in your face.
So while we're using social media to create a Planet Me, other organisations are using it to indoctrinate us however they want. Particularly, those anti-Kony folks who have convinced hundreds of thousands of susceptible people to join a war and make themselves trackable...like a herd. Kony 2012 is a video documentary about the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) movement leader Joseph Kony who ambushes villages in Uganda killing people and kidnapping children to fight in his army.
I'm not choosing a side, my problem is that this behaviour has been ongoing in Africa for longer than we care to know and by watching a video via social media, so many persons now believe that they are making a difference and that their leaders are on their side. I'm only saying that somebody should post a video illustrating how rebels arm their fighters and fund their attacks...
Don't take everything at face value especially social media which is free for us but valuable investments for organisations with motives besides chatting and playing Farmville.
Social media has succeeded at making narcissism acceptable to the point where deviants are said to have no self-esteem and are encouraged to celebrate themselves more. I don't need to have 700 followers to prove myself up-to-date. You shouldn't feel like you have anything to prove either. Stemming from the abuse of social media are so many other problems including work repercussions, relationship problems and generally A LOT of personal exposure.
We all know those persons who post updates every half hour throughout the day and we roll our eyes at them. We shake our heads when we see that that girl has changed her relationship status again; our jaws drop when we see that that guy is in a relationship with her of all people and when we see that those two are friends. Inasmuch as it's fun and empowering to have people care what we say don't you have any reservations as to what we share with the world? Isn't anything private? Do you really want to share all your email addresses and phone numbers?
There are those persons who attempt to limit their exposure by hiding and locking stuff but happier are those whose tweets will not embarrass them if certain other people read them. Happy are those too whose photos don't require censorship.
My issue is that we are taking social media way too seriously. Everything is not everybody's business. Weren't there days once when mystery was appealing? Personally, I smile when I cannot, by looking at someone's updates, tell everything happening in a person's day. I don't want to be hypocritical at all, so I'll be first to confess that I use social media as an ingenious tool for marketing and at times to openly express my emotions where it can have the most effect. It's productive from time to time.
The level of publicity that persons expose themselves to by being too transparent with social media almost always causes regret or otherwise unpleasant feelings. You know what I mean: after this person posts all her drama about who did what and said what, she's now livid because people are minding her business. Reader, I'm sure you understand.
What really irks me is the triviality of posts. It bothers me because there are so many things happening and so many problems and injustices in the world that we could draw attention to but we're only concerned about our social lives, you know?
My rant is just that personal life should be personal. Most of us don't like to inferere in other's affairs and we genuinely don't care so those people should simply keep their business to themselves. That's all we ask. Don't be so wrapped up in your own self-centered profile that you miss out on life happening around you and everybody else competing for your attention.
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