Facebook follies
By Natalie Serafini, Opinions Editor
There is some Facebook etiquette that I must blushingly admit to not following. I tag myself in my own pictures, Iâm always on the prowl for my next profile picture, and the majority of my status updates are of the self-promotional persuasion. Nonetheless, I donât consider myself to be the worst offenderâat least, not out of my list of Facebook friendsâdue in part to my unspoken Code of Facebook Honour. This basically means that I avoid thinking of Facebook as a diary, and I donât have any public feuds or arguments.
The breeding ground for narcissism, over-sharing, and self-promotion still has its fans, but most people have at least one Facebook pet peeve. How do students feel about Facebook? Have the times and the terrible brought Facebook to its knees, or is it still âWhere Everybody Knows Your Nameâ?
Asked what she thought was the worst offence on Facebook, Kiran Thandi pointed out the very real issue of bullying on social media.
For Felino Ponio, the most annoying Facebook habit is the over-exposed selfie-shot: âI think itâs the self-pictures. Sometimes it can go overboard. Like, not having shirts on, or underwear⌠it kind of gets weird. Like, why is that there?â
Fatima Magbanua has a similar issue with this excessive narcissism. She stated, âTheyâll take a picture of themselves, and theyâll be like, âThe day is so pretty,â âThe weatherâs so nice.â And all you see is their face.â
The dreaded over-share is a problem for Loren Andres. She recounted how, âI unfriended someone because it was, you know, âSo and soâs getting ready to push,â because she was having a kid.â
Similarly, Alyssa Ford avoids sharing too many personal details on Facebook. She said, âIf a family member dies, Iâm not putting that up. I know when my grandma died, my cousin, I told her multiple times, âDo not put that on Facebook.â What does she do? She puts it on Facebook.â
Ekam Badyal also avoids sharing too much information. She stated, âKeep things to yourself. I donât post statuses up every day.â
Another issue was with individuals dominating the newsfeed. Karan Bains said, âI just donât like it when itâs the same person over and over again, you know? I donât really have any problems with people on Facebook, but itâs just when itâs the same person taking up your whole feed, that kind of gets annoying.â
Keeret Saggu agreed, mentioning that she unfriended someone because they were taking up her newsfeed.
For Harpal Singh, the most annoying part of Facebook is the check-in feature: âThe check-in thing, thatâs like a punishment. The newsfeed is full of people saying, âI eat at McDonaldâs, I went to there, I went to something.â ⌠They donât enter the place, first they put in a check-in. If thereâs some annoying friend with me and theyâre like, âOkay, can I tag you in a check-in? Can you accept it?â Thatâs so annoying.â
Most of those interviewed felt Facebook would maintain its popularity, but pointed out that with so many other social media sites, Facebook wasnât as strong as it used to be. Some mentioned Google+, Instagram, Twitter, and Tumblr.
As far as Iâm concerned, the annoyances on Facebook have become a part of its charm. We all have friends whose albums are dedicated to selfies. You can always count on one of your acquaintances to post an overly personal status, or a dramatically vague update that begs for attention. All of this sates our thirst for knowledge about other peoplesâ lives. I avoid posting about my personal life on Facebook, but Iâm perfectly happy to know what couple broke up, or what pair of friends is now in a feud. Facebookâs follies are part of what make it Facebook, and I wouldnât have it any other wayâeven if my newsfeed does get clogged up by the same people.
