What’s Not To Like
Let’s face it – social media have changed the way in which we interact with our peer groups and update those in our personal networks about important aspect of our lives.
We have new ways in which to demonstrate our approval of other people’s news and activities. “Retweeting” allows us to easily rebroadcast any posting we value to our own audience. We can even make comments, giving us the flexibility to add something to the message or express a contrary view from the original.
Facebook offers some useful ways to express our opinions. We can indeed comment on our friends’ wall postings, links, images and so on. But where they’ve really scored is in giving us a really simple, quick and dirty way of approving things…
- Image via Wikipedia
The wonderful LIKE button!
There’s no need to think about a careful response to something your friends say – by simply clicking on the good old “blue thumb” we can easily give a literal “thumbs up” to anything – and every single one of our friends knows our opinion.
It’s easy, it’s simple, it’s… not enough!
What happens when we don’t approve of what is being said?
If I see something I don’t like, I want to be able to easily tell the rest of the world what I think… So where is that little blue graphic of a thumb on a nose – to enable me to “cock a snook” at something?
In short – Where’s the “dislike” button!
It seems Facebook only wants us to be positive. We have no easy way to disapprove. If we feel a need to be negative, we have to think about it and carefully construct a comment expressing our difference of opinion – or of course keep quiet. I find that somewhat subversive.
Perhaps more disturbing are some of the peculiar and inappropriate ways I see the LIKE button being used.
Someone has a cold – a friend “likes” that.
Someone announces they are now single – another friend “likes” that too.
Someone announces they have lost their job – a further friend “likes” that and leaves a comment with a trite placatory remark about “doors closing and opening…” and some other bloody friend “likes” their pointless comment!
I wouldn’t “like” any of the above.
Over the last year I have seen a number of friends, acquaintances and friends-of-friends register with that great social network in the sky.
Families have in some cases announced to the world their loved one’s demise on Facebook. At the very least, messages of sympathy and funereal arrangements have been posted there. For example…
“Thank you for your kind messages of support at this difficult time. John’s funeral will take place 10AM Tuesday at the Crematorium.”
No problem with that – but I was shocked to read “8 People Like This”!!!
NO YOU DO NOT BLOODY WELL LIKE THE FACT YOU KNOW WHEN JOHN IS BEING CREMATED – JOHN IS DEAD AND THAT IS VERY VERY SAD!
Perhaps a third button is required to complete our set.
Like – Dislike and…. So what to call it?
Support, Sympathise, Acknowledge, Feels For You…
Frankly I don’t know the answer. A part of me says a second or third button is not the solution I seek.
We can connect with those we know on a regular basis far more effectively than we ever could before. In many ways the years of guilt I carry for not keeping in touch whilst I trotted the globe are easily forgotten because I can now acknowledge people’s situations with ease.
Perhaps we should all take the time to comment or better still call or write to those we love.
The “like” button has made it easy – easy to be shallow!
After reading this I was looking around for a blue thumb to give my approval.
Great discussion topic – more buttons for differant situations would be great. People that dont want to respond / don’t have the time to respond via typed message could still be involved and it would probably prompt greater involvement / responses. People don’t have to use them if they don’t want to.
I totally agree with so much of what you have said. A certain person I know presses Like on almost every post or comment she reads. I think she thinks it will increase traffic to her site or something.
There are times when I would like a Dislike button on facebook, but then I think it’s just better to pick up the phone and talk with the original poster instead. A button is just too trite when it is bad news. And if I’m not close enough to them to have their phone number, it’s probably not appropriate for me to comment anyway.
What worries me is how easy it becomes to share news on social media without the need to get socially involved. I don’t actually see increased levels of “official” friends with decreased levels of contact as a good thing.