I think the tide might be finally turning when it comes to oversharing.
I’ve noticed that many people have started to think first, and sharing a little less. I am sure in part because we now know how companies like Cambridge Analytica use the information. I can’t quite put my finger on when or why sharing every tiny detail of your life became so acceptable; social media has definitely exacerbated the problem but I think reality TV shows have a lot to answer for as well. As a teenager I was fascinated by MTVs “The Real World”, which is so tame in comparison to what is broadcast today. These platforms have a huge influence on society, making us believe that it is perfectly normal to share every detail of our lives with the outside world.
Don’t get me wrong, I too am guilty of this act, and it certainly does come in handy sometimes too -when I see someone has checked into a restaurant I want to try, I will text them and ask how it was. And only last month I saw that a friend went to the gym; so the next time I spoke to them I was able to ask if I could join them at some point, (I’m ashamed to say I haven’t been yet). My responses were all done in a more personal way. Mainly because I didn’t want to announce my intentions to the world, but perhaps if I had I would have the start of a six-pack by now?
I think the real issue that has arisen with us all being comfortable with blurting anything and everything out is that people have lost their sense of boundaries, particularly those of others. I know someone who announced the birth of a baby on social media before the parents got the chance. I even had a friend who posted my relationship status, which wasn’t the end of the world, but it certainly ruffled my feathers. I think the rule of thumb should be to share your news and not that of others, unless asked. And try to target your content properly. I am not great at this (yet), I often catch myself boring people with the mundane details of being stuck in a traffic jam or reciting the details of a crazy dream I had the night before. To be fair this can often be a result of feeling insecure or anxious, but I don’t think it would hurt any of us to pause and ask ourselves “ why are we telling them this?” and if there is no good reason then we are more than likely oversharing.
If you’ve been following the news in the UK you’ll be aware that this week saw yet another suicide of a reality TV guest on the popular Jeremy Kyle show. And then there is Selena Gomez, (who has over 150 million Instagram followers) declaring that ‘social media is terrible for our generation’ raising her concerns about online bullying, This really got me wondering whether it is actually ‘good to talk’?
I don’t think talking is a bad thing – for lots of people it is effective therapy – as long as you are selective and heed the warning ‘don’t talk to strangers’. Problem is most people don’t or won’t heed that warning. And here I am sharing my innermost thoughts…..I am aware this forum opens me up to public criticism however I trust most of our readers have better manners and will deliver any responses in a pleasant way….
This topic dovetails nicely with Sandro’s commentary last week on people not being able to behave at the cinema. Is it all related? Have we all become so accustomed to ‘letting it all hang out’ as my parents might have put it, that we’ve lost all sense of what is appropriate, and what is not?
I also spotted this poignant post on a friend’s profile the other day: “Don’t use social media less. Use it more intentionally. Follow people who inspire and motivate you. Engage with experts you can learn from. Create genuine, positive friendships. Just stop mindlessly scrolling, complaining, hating and engaging in negativity and bitterness.“
Love it or hate it, we need it all to some degree I guess, but it just comes down to the reasons behind it. It also crosses my mind that I’m just a bit old-fashioned and should perhaps accept that this is how the modern world prefers to interact.
What do you think? I am sure many of you have strong opinions on this topic so feel free to drop us a line at info@britsin.la….we always love to hear from you!
Finally: we have some tickets up for grabs for the Lewis Capaldi show at the Fonda on June 12th. So email us if you want us to put your name in the hat. Winners will be picked at random on May 20th. And you can always catch up on all our upcoming events and news at www.britsin.la.
Cheers!
Eileen
