Entry #5 - Say What?

Well, this is a little disturbing... 

No, really, I can't help but find this a bit disturbing.  What is "this" you may ask?  Well, "this" refers to a pod-cast that I was listening to about status updates and social media as a whole.  Take a listen to the first part of it below: 

This American Life - Status Update 

Now, right off the bat the part that grabbed my attention and made me wonder if I was hearing things was when the girls were talking about how the 'norm' is to get two "likes" in the first minute of posting something.   

This is more or less how I feel about this.  Just a great big pile of "say what?" all over those comments.   I'm no small bit stunned here, "Usually there's two likes in a minute."  In a minute.  At 11AM.  For one 13-year-old and two 14-year-olds.  They end up with six likes in a minute.  I might not get that many likes on six of my own posts combined!  It just keeps going from there, too, as the girls explain about how it's practically an obligation to like their friends' posts and to comment.  What are the comments you may ask?  Well, that's the next part making me speechless. 

 That's right, the comments are along the lines of "gorgeous", "pretty", "stunning", "you kill it", "you're so pretty" and things to that regard.  The only thing off limits is "sexy", as it's stated as being a different connotation.  I suppose that's something at least, the comments aren't about making the other girls sexual in appearance but just complimenting them.  As the pod caster states, it's the opposite of online bullying.  And, this is a good thing.  It is.  It's also a very worrisome thing however.  

These girls are talking about how the comments are repetitive, all of them use the same phrases to each other and there's no unique qualities to them.  Even more worrisome however is the admission that the girls don't feel the "need" to have these comments made but it makes them feel better.  Beyond even that, however, is the kind of currency that comes with commenting.  You can comment on someone's picture because you're close to someone or because you want to get close to them.  And then there's your response to their response and the wording can be slightly different but it speaks volumes to these girls who put so much stock in to this otherwise unknown special language that's been created by these young, teenage girls.  

 One of the girls even states something disturbing outright: "It's like this whole set of unspoken rules that everyone follows."  How?  By definition unspoken rules means they aren't stated, so how do these girls know how to follow them?  And what if one of them does it wrong?  Will they be shunned?  Mocked?  Or just ignored and have comments and likes withheld?  The girls may have said they don't "need" the likes, but they all admit to liking them.  We all enjoy that sensation of someone acknowledging that we're pretty or complimenting us.  So this is where this whole portion of the pod cast really worried me: they say they don't "need" the likes and comments but what if they didn't get any?  That sounds suspiciously like an alcoholic who says they don't "need" to drink, they just like it.  Or the gambler who says they don't "need" to gamble, it's just fun.  And how much of these girls' psyche is being affected by the confirmation from others that if it's removed will be damaged?  

Seriously, this is kind of a 'heavy' topic to be thinking about!  It's really worrisome to think about the impact seemingly little, trivial things can be having on a generation that's still essentially in its infancy.  I wish there were some funny way to approach this or wave it all away but the simple fact is there's really not.  It's food for thought, things to consider.  Things to really consider.  Give it some thought, if you have any opinions I'd love to hear them in the comments section.  I'll try and go with something a little more lighthearted next time.  Till then.