Facebook, Buzzfeed, Huffington Post, and every other blogs are using lists as a way to express our writing.
Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE lists. I’ve been programmed as a child, to have things in a certain order. But the older I get, the more I get kind of tired of these lists. Not because they don’t hold true to what I believe in, but because I feel like with lists we limit ourselves. Lists give us the idea that there’s a first place and a last place.
I was browsing my usual Facebook News Feed and ironically stumbled upon this link from Huffington Post about the 7 Ways To Be Insufferable on Facebook. Lists like these are usual comical to be the best. I’ve enjoyed quite a few posts from HuffPost lately because of the insight from the writers but this article was disappointing.
Most of it talks about the image-crafting that people do on Facebook and basically belittles everyone that is “insufferable” and as if what they’re doing is a manipulative way to make you feel bad about your own life. News flash, that’s what Facebook has been about for ages. Studies have shown people are sadder when they reflect on other people’s life on Facebook and evaluate it with theirs for centuries.
The reality is that instead of worrying about how green the grass is on the other side, why don’t you worry about your own grass. I feel if like that was addressed in the article instead of all the excessive name-calling and belittling, it would have helped the atmosphere a little bit. I’m used to reading inspiring posts on this blog, and I feel like the article almost slams everyone that uses Facebook. It’s a way to connect with our network of friends. Tell them how our day is, where we got accepted to, what the new episode of ‘The Walking Dead’ did for them, and so on and so forth, because well that’s important to them in their lives.
If it’s something that made you happy, share it. If you’re feeling sad, write it. If people want to unfriend you, let them. As long as your intention is good I see no wrong in posting what you believe is important. Once you start worrying about what other people think about your own thoughts, they are no longer your own, but those filtered by other people’s opinions. What kind of life would that be?
The Oanhtourage 