10 things I wished did not happen on social media

This post is a bit of a rant I guess. A bit sarcastic at times too. So don’t take everything too literally. I’m just trying to vent my frustrations regarding some practices I encounter on a daily basis while using social network sites. I could go on for hours, but these are my 10 main pet peeves regarding Facebook, Twitter and a bit of the entire Web 2.0 experience in general. What are yours?

Yep, this is what they want us to believe…

1.) People RTing instead of replying

There are separate buttons for replying and a retweeting for a reason. It’s two different things. Please take the 5 minutes to understand what the difference is and use accordingly.

2.) Tweets about TV shows, particularly reality/ contest ones

There is a reason why I don’t watch TV in the first place. (You can read about it here) So I’m not interested in who you’re supporting on The Voice, which person in Jersey Shore slept with whom or who actually looks hotter than her daughter.

3.) Facebook ads for matchmaking/ dating services because your profile says you’re single

If I were interested in visiting such websites I would do so of my own accord. Stop pestering me. This can be extended to youtube advertisements where you get to see the same commercial from Maybelline about 25 times a day because you watched a few beauty videos the night before.

4.) The absence of a dislike/ neutral/ like-on-a-scale-from-1-to-5 button

How can you like the announcement of someone being sick? Why only one option? I get why, a) it’s a smart marketing trick (everything you like is gathered as information that FB uses to tailor your advertisements and get a feel for people’s personal tastes) b) in this day and age negativity seems to be something evil. But life isn’t just about liking something. Why not make it a bit more realistic?

5.) People who only post things to make themselves seem important

Such as: people who RT every reply they get, people who write cryptic things to make them seem more interesting and everything in between. People who just write: ‘sigh’ only to elicit everyone they know to ask them: what’s wrong? It usually has the desired effect I’m sure, but remember you are sending that message to more than just your close friends.

6.) Posts regarding contests

I know they are generated automatically and you often can’t help it, but when you enter a contest 10x and thus causes that same post to enter my timeline 10x it is just overkill.

7.) Status updates regarding played games

Honestly, the fact that people play video games on Facebook is swell, but I have no interest in any of them. So no, I won’t help you find that special gem, not can I help you impale a vampire. Sorry. You can switch off the notifications of course… But only by hand. One by one. Grrr.

8.) Invitations/ reminders to games

Equally annoying. I played songpop for about 1 week and gave up on it, because I lost interest. Yet somehow Facebook seems to think that you’re a social weirdo when you don’t play all those marvelous games. Look at all your friends they are playing it, so you should too! Hell to the no I don’t.

9.) Status updates regarding Facebook petitions/ helping others/ let’s see how many people will copy this

I have to admit I am guilty of a reposting/ making a few of these myself. But honestly, have any of these petitions ever helped? Have they ever made a real difference? Does it really matter? In the end: my answer is no. It’s nice to think you’re doing something, but at the end of the day the impact of clicking like or reposting such messages only plays a marginal role in any campaign.

10.) The false sense of security platforms such as Facebook and Twitter can give you

Again, I am guilty of this myself, but I am highly aware of the fact that what I write on Facebook, Twitter and even this blog could be read by anyone at any time. Whether it is someone who I want to see the message or whether it’s someone who I’d rather not read my stuff: it’s out there and it is going to be spread without your own knowledge of where it ends up. This can be handy, sure, but I have to say I was a bit surprised when I was approached by a company offering me extra customer services via Twitter earlier this year. And just yesterday this happened again. I can’t help but shudder at the big-brother-is-watching-you-feel it gives me.