Facebook Etiquette

With this infantile world of social media, there is very little to determine proper etiquette when using such sites as Twitter, Facebook, MySpace (are people still on this?), LinkedIn etc. I think the most difficult aspect of determining proper etiquette for such sites is that each site carries it's own rules of proper behavior in it's digital space. Today, I would like to focus on one particular aspect of Facebook etiquette--- status updates.

When status updates first came about on Facebook, I think people were a little weary of it's practical uses and it's invasion of privacy. However, since that time, micro-blogging (Twitter etc.) has become the new way for people to express themselves, share ideas, share content and so forth. Letting people know your status has become as common as Ben Roethlisberger being charged for sexual assault. But let's talk about one particular "type" of status update. The Pity Status.

The pity status is the worst status someone can put in the social media space. Why? Because this person is deliberately trying to evoke certain sympathies from their online friends with vague language and trying to encourage certain questions to be asked. Take for instance this status: "Some days are just the worst days aren't they? I hope tomorrow will be better than this shitty day." Ok, vagueness? Check. Self pity? Check. Encouraging questions to be asked? Check. This person is seeking validation from his or her (face it, most of these pity statuses seem to be from the female sex) friends to ask them what happened, is everything ok, and how can I help you get through this difficult time. What has happened is this person probably has a bunch of shit going on in their lives, but they do not need to share that with the rest of the world. If they are so concerned with their situation, please, just call a good friend. No need to publicize your problems to the rest of the world, because like you, we all have problems and things to deal with on a daily basis.

Responses. Please, don't respond. It's as simple as this. If this person wants advice, they can go to a shrink. If they need help, I'm sure they can find help on Google. If they need your sympathies, they can call/text/email/private message you for that. We don't need to be indulged with your issues every time your professor gives you a bad grade (probably deserved it!) or your boss is an asshole (he probably is an asshole, but I'm sure you deserved it) So people of the world, buck up, quit looking for sympathy, and instead concentrate your output on solving your problems in the real-world, not just bitching about them online.