On Like

Facebook is one way I can kind of keep up with friends and family. The newsfeed informs me of the numerous activities and thoughts of those that are close to me as well as a number of people that might have attended my high school/college that I no longer/never communicate with. Regardless of who posts, Facebook is informative. What it has informed me of lately is that most people don't seem to understand what "Like" means.

"When you forgot to close out your bar tab and you are charged 20% but you at least remembered to get your card back the next day."

"When your bf/gf calls you by their ex's name and you break up with them."

"When you hear a joke by a comedian and it doesn't apply to you but months later something happens and now the joke applies to you and it makes the joke really funny and then you create a group about the joke as if everyone else should also have experienced said joke situation but don't give any credit to the comedian after creating the group."

These are not things people "like." These are events which take place. People like ice cream. They don't like "my pet died when I was little but it still makes me sad."

Now one could make the argument that "like"ing is the manifestation of one's desire to find a connection and be part of a community because we seem to no longer form deep, meaningful relationships and so instead our human interaction becomes based upon a quantity of superficial experiences which is validated by others creating a sense of normalcy and a communal though distant existence.

Another valid claim is that people have embraced the world of postmodernity and are ironically "like"ing these events and I just don't get it. If postmodernism has taught me anything it is simply this- "you don't get it."

The third more likely possibility is please stop it. Go read a book. Listen to music. Paint a picture. Cultivate yourself for some higher, loftier existence. There are so many better ways to express your thoughts/feelings. Nick at Night has changed. Kermit's voice isn't the same. Things are expensive. Interpol's lead singer does want to be Ian Curtis. The economy is awful. Everyone knows this. There is no reason to "like" these things. Please stop.

If you "like"d this you should post it as your facebook status as well as a tweet and get your friends to like it because I am in desperate need of validation. I'm so lonely.