Social Media: The Oversharing Factor

I am hella late with this my new year's greetings but better late than never my dear people. I just want to say a quick albeit very belated HAPPY NEW YEAR. I had all this gist of how my Holiday season went (trip to Dubai with Taynement + Aberdeen to visit my dearest dearest sister) and how much fun I had + a mini review of 2013 but it’s too late now. Regardless, happy new year darlings…may your 2014 be the your best year yet. Amin!!!

Sooo onto the gist of the day and right in line with the recent departure of the almighty Valentines day aka Falemtines Day aka #Singleswereaware #Wesurvivedthetension #Netflixwasmyboo etc etc...I contemplated the oversharing thing and could only shake my head. I mean, we all knew that Valentines day would have our Instagram, Facebook and Twitter timelines fresh with the onslaught of pictures and gifts but at some point, I had to ask myself – What did we do before social media? Because obviously at this rate, everybody has the mentality of “If I don’t share it, then it didn’t happen”.
But look, I wasn't even mad at those Vals day updates at all. As awon babes dey post picture, me I dey balance to look. There was even one particular couple who had a Pre-Vals day treasure hunt, and ol’ girl posted every step of the treasure hunt for her Instagram followers (the end result was a box of chocolates). Somehow the screenshot of the hunt ended up floating across my Twitter timeline and after having a good laugh at the bants the screenshot caused, I was like “Wait o, so this babe really took time out to snap pictures of every step of this treasure hunt to upload to Instagram? Odiegwu”. Oversharing tinz.
That aside, everybody else and their mama had their flowers, cakes, chocolates, Louboutins, G-wagons, washing machines and refridgerators, Zanottis (true talk – these were all gifts that various babes recieved) proudly displayed on their various Instagram pages and I was chilling in the cut, observing it all. I could literally imagine these females getting their gifts, quickly pulling out their phones to take pictures and then uploading said pictures online before they actually turned to their partners to say thank you.

The shenanigans of Valentines day aside, I've realized that people just love to overshare the minute details of their lives on social media. All these celebs that give Linda Ikeji and other such blogs fodder for posts are a prime example. I mean, look at our sister Chika Ike's heavily documented shopping trip to Dubai. Sotay she had someone photograph her as a Michael Kors salesperson was handing over a shopping bag to her at the sales register. I had to bow.
Celebrities aside, we regular folks are just as guilty. I remember my friend once told me that someone on Twitter was surprised that she worked out, and it was like if you don’t flood your timeline with #fitfam #Gymflow #Spincycletinz, then nobody believes that you actually go to the gym. Tweet it or it didn't happen.

Long story short, you gotta share every bit of it or we won't believe you. This must explain some of the nonsense that I see across the various social media vehicles...

Like those people who manage to fly first class and like I said, if they don't upload a picture of their boarding passes, then that first class flight didn't happen. I've seen a few ratchets folks upload their boarding passes showing us that they have first class seats and premier flight status on the airline of their choice. I be like "K boo".

Or those other people who go out and buy expensive gadgets or expensive shoes/bags, and as true and tested social media oversharers, GOTTA give us an “unboxing video” with the appropriate caption of “My new baby/babies just arrived”. It's only science that they do this or else they didn't just blow a wad of cash for the internet population not to know that they made a big splurge. It’s only science.

Those girls that cook for their man and won't allow him to eat the food in peace. They must also let the internet know that they cooked talmbout "Just cooked for my baby...xxx". Okay sisters, we will surely add money to your brideprice you hear?

How about those guys who will buy a new luxury car and upload new Facebook album with about 20 pictures of the new car. You might as well include pictures of the title and registration for us too o. May your driver's license too sef. All join.

And the one that absolutely kills me is all these up and coming young’uns who think that it’s cool to upload pictures of them smoking weed because ya know, smoking anything that isn’t nicotine is so cool and everybody on social media gotta see how much of a badazz that you are. Oversharing fail. A real epic one. Why can't you just smoke your joint in the quietness of your home? If it doesn't enter Instagram then we don't know that you're the hottest/baddest abi? I'm getting you guys.

Look, I am just not one to overshare information, so it is easy for me to sit and wonder how some people do it. For the fact that most of us are on one form of social media or the other means that some elements of information about us will get out there. But we gotta draw the line between "elements of information" and "too much information". If you put a good percentage of yourself out there, then where is the mystery to your life? Everything doesn’t have to be displayed for the world to see. Let people wonder about you, as opposed to you feeding them every single tidbit of information. A word is enough for the wise but if you choose to be foolish, I aint mad. Your life, my entertainment.