My Top 10 Facebook pet peeves

Everyone I know has a Facebook page…well almost everyone I know. With so many people on Facebook, you come across people who become annoying posters. Facebook pet peeves. Everyone has them. There are certain activities and posts which annoys us and clogs up our newsfeeds. While researching if others had the same pet peeves and what I found shocked me. One website listed 100 pet peeves about Facebook posts! 100! The list pretty much covered any activity on Facebook. So, I complied a top 10 list of activities which I find annoying when they are done in excess. I will list them in descending order.

10. Excessive Activism: Activism is a good thing. I will usually participate during awareness months or when something catches my eye that I feel needs to be passed on. However, some posters will post ad nauseam! With the constant bombardment of activism posts, it gets to the point that I don’t care and will unfollow the post or the poster if it gets to be too much. I understand the passion behind the activism but posts all day, every day is too extreme.

9. I bet you can’t memes: The “name a (fill in the blank) that doesn’t have the letter (blank) in it. I bet you can’t.” And thousands of comments just proved the meme wrong. It’s annoying!

8. Poor Grammar: I do my best to avoid mistakes and sometimes I will miss one. However, some posts are one long run-on sentence. Or typing in text speak or slang which I can’t decipher. If I get a headache trying to read your posts, I won’t read anything else you write.

7. Asking a question when you can GOOGLE it: I used to be guilty of this and I realize that I can answer my own question with Google. Sometimes though I will search Google and then go to Facebook and ask my friends for their opinion.

6. Posting or commenting when it should have been a private message: I’ve had a few friends who will comment on my posts with “catch up news” or ask a question that is private. This is especially annoying when someone brings up information which isn’t public yet and now you have just told everyone something I wanted private. Please send me a private message so that only I will see it. You may not think it’s not private but I may. This brings me to my #5 pet peeve…

5. Comments which have nothing to do with the original post: I find this more often in the new organization’s posts. For example, if the post is about a new book I read and someone comments about his/her new car. To those who comment on my personal posts which have nothing to do with what I posted: (Insert sarcasm) Thanks….great!!!!

4. Posting a story without fact-checking it first: Google people! Check to see if the story is legit. Most of the time they are not. Snopes.com is a good place to start, especially the hoaxes that seem to pop up over and over. With the speed of news reporting now, if multiple news sources haven’t reported on the same thing, it may be legit. I’m not saying it couldn’t be true because I’ve come across some that later are true. However, check and double check first.

3. Tagging me in comments:  I don’t mind being tagged in posts or pictures but when someone tags in the comment section without 1) giving me a clue why you’re tagging me or 2) because it’s something I’m interested in, it gets fairly annoying. Plus, it also blows up my notifications. One day, I had over 50 notifications because I was tagged in a comment section. I was being notified every time someone commented. Instead of just tagging me in a comment, share it to my page or your own page and tag me in it. Say, “Hey, I saw this and thought of you” or something along those lines. It’s just as easy to share it to my page as it is to tag me.

2. Liking your own status: I’ve read that people do this so the status climbs back up to the top of their friends’ newsfeeds. But it just looks like you’re high-fiving yourself. It seems desperate and sad.

And my number 1 Facebook pet peeves….

1. Vaguebooking: Intentionally vague posts that purposely prompts or “baits” your Facebook friends to comment “are you okay?” or “tell us more.” I think we all have been guilty of this at one point in our Facebook history; but, I’ve learned it’s extremely annoying. If there is something you do not want to give details about, then do not put it on Facebook. I refuse to acknowledge these posts.

Facebook is a fun place to share ideas, pictures and connect with people we would normally not have access to. However, there are some posts which are annoying. I know that now I have listed these pet peeves, someone is going to comment and complain about my posts. I didn’t say that my posts don’t annoy someone else. I’m sure someone somewhere is saying “Great, she goes posting this stuff again.” I’ve just listed activities which annoy me. My point is keep in mind that what you post and who is reading your posts. You don’t have to read my posts just as I don’t have to read yours. Let’s have fun on Facebook! 

Whatever as slang: the most annoying phrase in conversation

I've come to hate the word whatever. It has become annoying and according to the Marist College polls, the “most annoying [phrase] in conversation.” Whatever has become a slang word meaning “I don’t care about what you just said.” It is used to dismiss a previous statement and express indifference to what someone has said. It is considered rude and impolite to use in conversation. According to Urban Dictionary, whatever is used in an argument to admit that you are wrong without actually admitting it so the argument is over. It is considered an alternative to “f**k you.”

The word whatever when used as slang is a sign of indifference. I’m not talking about when it is used to in terms of “Sure, whatever works for you.” Indicating that whichever plan is agreed upon works. However, whatever has become a word of apathy and very passive-aggressive. It has become a put down and a signal to another person that what is being said is not important. This use of the word is what I hate the most. When it is used to end a heated discussion in which another person isn't going to persuade the other to his or her side of the debate. It’s “fine, whatever” replaces “You’re an idiot and there’s no talking to you.” This is especially annoying when being used by closed-minded people who cannot accept that someone just might have a different opinion.

Whatever can also be used to display skepticism. Skepticism is doubting the truthfulness of a piece of information and that’s not a bad thing. However, when someone uses the phrase, “yeah, whatever” dismisses the information without an effort on his or her part to find the truthfulness or deceitfulness of the information. Whenever I’m giving information that I doubt, I usually reply with “I’ve never heard that and I would have to look into it.” It is a much more pleasant way to dismiss information that you doubt without making the person giving it feel like a fool. There may be truth to their information and dismissing it without consideration is rude. I sometimes also say “Interesting. I’ll have to look into that” to a piece of information that I may doubt. Either phrase gives respect to the person without putting them down.

Lastly, whatever can be used to show exasperation. We’ve all been there especially when talking to a toddler. You’re tired and the discussion is going on for what seems like forever. You just want it to stop so you say, “Fine! Whatever.” It doesn’t indicate that you are fine with the topic or decision but you just want it to end. This has happened many times to me when a topic is brought up and the discussion gets out of control and I often regret that the topic was brought up at all. I suppose because I am the type of person who is usually open to other’s ideas in the formulation of plans, etc. I am truly annoyed when someone else isn’t as open when an idea is presented that is different from his or her own. Simply because they don’t want to do it or they want their plan to be the only plan. It’s the “my way or the highway” mentality.

When whatever is used in a tone of indifference, skepticism or exasperation is annoying. And I know that tone of voice is very important when using whatever. And it makes my blood boil when it is used. The use of whatever, when directed at me, usually leaves me feeling unimportant and unworthy of even having a different opinion or idea and I know that it is not true. I know that whatever, when used as indifference, skepticism, or exasperation, is often done without thinking. Be mindful of the tone of voice used when trying to end a discussion or even dismiss a piece of information which you don’t believe.