Tuesday, February 18, 2014

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.

22 comments:

Simply bellz said...

just remembered a picture after reading "your life my entertainment " lloll.. some girl made an instagram video with her boyfriend's pictures to wish him a happy birthday. cute gesture but a picture I can't get off my mind was a pic she had with both of them wearing polka dot pata!! (pant). I was like WTHH.. no one wants to see you and your bf play weird dress up games.. that picture made twitter hilarious that day..not everything has to be posted online!

I missed your gistt! happy new year sis

leggy said...

first of all, it's never too late to tell us about ya trips
i think people take pictures or it didn't happen to great lengths.
i always ask myself - this thing i'm about to share about myself if it ends would i want people laughing, speculating on my pain? no? then me i keep my business to myself.
i love love and i love people bold enough to put it on social media but everyone needs to use caution when they put things about their lives out there.

Unknown said...

I love how you have expressed my feelings, if only they will listen. At least have some pride and keep some things PRIVATE.

By the way i loveee your blog.
www.misykona.com

Toinlicious said...

Amen!

Unknown said...

lol. Happy new year. Choi i need to cut down on my sharing o *hides face*

Unknown said...

i saw a question somewhere that asked, if you were not allowed to take pictures on a trip you took would you take it...by extension it seems to many people the answer would a loud and resounding NO. It seems a lot of things are engaged in solely for the purpose of sharing these days :/

Chichi Chb said...

lmao! you hit the nail on the head biko. The smoking weed one kills me too. I keep on saying "introduction to social media" should be a course in sec school and uni. Especially in naija where overdoing is a profession

Miss Enigma said...

Yup it's never too late to give us vacation gist!!! Our generation is definitely one of over sharers...I have to catch myself sometimes and be like nahh dont post that. However I don't think everyone just snaps and posts the minute things happen. You might take a pic and share at a later time.(Well make I talk for myself sha, cnt speak for everyone...lol)

Coy~Introvert said...

Generally, sharing much information with people or via social media isn't my thing. But I'm happy everyone is not like me sha. Just like simply bellz said "your life my entertainment" so carry on because social media would be boring without these people though they need to know where to draw the line.
The only thing that annoys me are the ones that flaunt the whole stage of their relationships and when they break up they decide to make it private. That one is not just fair at all.

taynement said...

Personally, I think you are just hating cuz you're not #blessed #favored or #thankful!

hehe, i kid. You've pretty much said it all. I remember returning from a trip and an actual friend was like "oh you went already? you didn't tweet about it".I guess it's just the world we now live in. I am overly conscious about stuff about my life or maybe i am just boring till then sha i'll just keep over sharing on pop culture stuff.

Ebs said...

Nne, I couldn't have said it better myself. But I can't lie, I kinda like these over sharers cos they make my timeline and my insta feed fun jare. The one that really got me was the first class ticket sharing. As in? Why? I ain't mad, but it truly baffles me to see such things on Instagram and such. A girl on my insta feed shared a carefully made picture collage of all her valentines day gifts, from a brand new car to numerous Chanel and Gucci and I thought to myself, thank God for contentment in life or else some of us would go and slit our wrists. And then you ask yourself , to what end really? Or huge ones who post pictures of the themselves in the mall carrying designer carrier bags so that we must know that they went to such and such store. Why una no post the one with ya h&m purchase. Wo, let me stop rambling. And please, we want to hear the vacation gist jare.

Unknown said...

Am literally laughing out loud. I love your style of gist. But all you said is true though.

www.jayjay-2011.blogspot.com

mizchif said...

#Twitpicoritdidnthappen!!!!
#cookingforbae

Errr, your cousin Rih is the queen is the instaweed movement doe.

Please don't be a harer. I need entertainment. If they don't share what will i have as entertainment?

Seriously though it's the culture of our generation now. We spend our time watching people lives out what is supposedly their real lives on television and that's what everyone seems to want.

yujubee said...

So its not only me,at some point I was like this one I didn't post anything, hope people will not think my marriage is doomed. Ahmean, posting cakes and flowers. Tchww.

Anonymous said...

Nice Anon: Some elements is perfectly fine like you rightly said.

The one that grinds my teeth is the "fake privacy" The-I-won't-come-out-and-say-it-ho-and-ha-but-I'll-slyly-imply-it-so-that-you-can-seek-me-out-and-ask-for-better-explanation. GIRL BYEEEEEEEEE!

Hyperfashun said...

Lmao. I'm dying here.i swear this over sharing thing gets to me a times. And yes I'm guilty too. For those of us working in fashion and media, the lines get blurry a lot but oh wellll I guess it's the way the world is going. Love reading your posts. Xoxo

Mz Socially Awkward.... said...

My very own Mgbeke!! (No be small #netflixwasmyboo... You crazy pikin...)

And I concur, the zenith of complete idiocy is posting photos of yourself smoking weed for all the world and future employers/voters/investors/detractors/in-laws to marvel at.

So, more blogging in 2014, yes?

Vivi N. said...

Rollin' at #NetflixWasMyBoo.

Also, "Your Life, My Entertainment". Man, if that's not how I'm viewing these folks on Twitter/Instagram/Facebook at the moment. Keep over-sharing. I'll be over here rollin' with jokes.

Even for myself as a style blogger sometimes I wonder if I need to step up my over-sharing game on my various social media sites. lolol. Like, CLEARLY, I'm behind.

Anonymous said...

My dear, there's no such thing as bad publicity. The only thing separating me from ovesharing is liverlessness. I begrudge not those who possess the liver to do so.

Unknown said...

“Because obviously at this rate, everybody has the mentality of 'If I don’t share it, then it didn’t happen'.” — This is somehow true. We all share this kind of mentality of “walking the walk.” I don’t think there’s really a need to share our whereabouts, it’s just that most of us want to share the excitement over something that happened to us, and of course proving everyone that it's true right?

Layla Stabile

Anonymous said...

So so well said. Your posts are great.

Amelia Thermop said...

Nah all for show! lool They doing it for the gram homie! lol.