Social Media and why I have "likeitus"

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phillip_andrews
You almost can't escape it these days, it seems that every social site has some form of way of approving or "liking" someone's content be it Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or even... venerable GTPlanet.

It doesn't even stop there, you see it outside of commercial websites as it's even used on "project sites" that I see at work. It really hit me when I saw it on that type of site as it makes you realise the whole "liking" business has gone further than taking a few funny pictures and uploading them to Facebook.

But why? Do we feel the need to be congratulated with a "like" on everything we post or say. Do we feel happy when we do get lots of "likes"? Do we feel we've said the wrong thing if we don't receive any likes?

Worryingly I would probably have to say yes to both questions. When I logon here the first thing I do is click the alerts button to see who has replied to my posts and who has liked them. When before I would've gone straight to the new posts button. It's hard to resist that cheap dopamine hit your brain gets as you revel in another like or 10 likes (wow!).

But what are we really gaining from all this? To me it's just making ourselves overly critical of what we do in our digital musings, it's making us insecure about posting what we really think or going against the grain. It makes me want the old internet back where it was more about discovering new things, watching great videos and reading informative articles. Now half of the time on the internet seems to be checking all our favorite sites for updates on our approval (likes) or non approval.

I'd love to know if you have "likeitus" and if not how do you avoid it?

*This article at a skim seems to explore the same topic in much greater detail and with far better writing as well - https://www.theguardian.com/news/20...-happen-mantra-instagram-era-facebook-twitter
 
My favorite part of this thread is that @Jordan came in to give it a "like". That's first world anarchy at its finest.

I do think liking, at least here on the forums, works to say "ya I read what you said" and gets away from the stupid "+1" or "I agree" posts. On the rest of social media, I have no idea. I don't really pay attention to likes on Facebook or hearts on Instagram but I know I get them because they throw notifications at you left and right.
 
I don't really care about like buttons really. I don't even take the time to like videos on YouTube after I watch them, and I spend way too much time on there. I hardly ever hit the button on here, and only occasionally like something enough on facebook to press that button. When I come here and see I have 4 notifications (3 likes, 1 quote) I just skip over the likes and check on the quote.

I do agree that it has definitely gotten out of hand.
 
My favorite part of this thread is that @Jordan came in to give it a "like". That's first world anarchy at its finest.

I do think liking, at least here on the forums, works to say "ya I read what you said" and gets away from the stupid "+1" or "I agree" posts. On the rest of social media, I have no idea. I don't really pay attention to likes on Facebook or hearts on Instagram but I know I get them because they throw notifications at you left and right.

I did find that rather amusing! I knew the chances were that I was going to get trolled with a like and no reply but from the owner of the site no less...
 
Am I the only one who looks at who likes my posts to know who to talk too?
 
I'd love to know if you have "likeitus" and if not how do you avoid it?

Hm. I don't have it but I'm not sure I could tell you how to avoid it (he says knowing that he's damn well going to try because he's a busybody like that). I imagine if you've gotten into writing with likes and such as part of the feedback mechanism that could be quite hard to detach from, as that's just part of the culture.

Don't get me wrong, I like it when people get enough from my posts to bother pushing a button. I think it's a natural human reaction to appreciate approval. I'm known to be somewhat verbose (understatement of the year candidate right here, please) but I'll write those posts whether I get likes or not. But if you find that whether you get likes or not is affecting you, that could be irritating.

I would suggest trying writing on a forum with either anonymity or no feedback at all. A blog with social media turned off perhaps, or one of the chans if you're feeling keen. That or try something where feedback has to be more explicit than a simple like, something where if people want to respond they have to write you a comment back. Train yourself to either be self-contained in terms of the satisfaction you get from posting, or at least only affected by actual critique rather than an impersonal and arbitrary button.

Writing (and communicating in general) can and should be a joy in and of itself. It's fun, even if there's no one else watching. I say this while writing a 30+ page report that I know damn well most people I give it to won't get past the first page or two. But that's fine, I'm actually writing it for me and if anyone else gets something out of it that's a bonus.

There's nothing wrong with enjoying likes, but see if you can find what you like about writing on the internet even without that particular Skinner button.

*I have also just got back from travelling and relentlessly mocking every person I saw taking a selfie. There were a lot. Personally, I'd rather be a faceless voice on the internet. I make fun of tin foil hat folk, but at the same time surveillance is a very real thing in the modern connected era.
 
I don't do social media but I do throw likes on videos I watch much of the time as I assume it has something to do with monetization and algorithms or some other such important stuff for people posting on the Youtubez. Mostly golf videos these days...gotta get that handicap down:cheers:
 
I, like Joey, use likes here to show general agreement with what a person has posted. For the most part i do on FB as well, which is the only other form of social media that i am active on. YT i omit because i dont bother with their cancerous comment section. I just go for the articles... sorry, videos....
I do use the like button a little more liberally on FB. For pictures and whatnot, but i only have friends and family on my facebook as well. I was never one to try and achieve some sort of high score on my friends list. I dont need a bunch of smucks i dont know validating my internet life.
Like others. I dont really check my notifications for likes, just to see if conversations have continued to move along oor of something I've said has been quoted. Same on Facebook.
However, getting likes is a quick, cheap, dopamine hitter. I definitely can see how it becomes a problem for some people. double so if someone you perceive as important likes or reply in kind to a post of yours. Not sure how someone prone to getting hooked on likes avoids it though, aside from dumping social media altogether.
 
I don't do social media
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Yeah you do. You just do it on a beter website than most people.
 
I don't really care about like buttons really. I don't even take the time to like videos on YouTube after I watch them, and I spend way too much time on there. I hardly ever hit the button on here, and only occasionally like something enough on facebook to press that button. When I come here and see I have 4 notifications (3 likes, 1 quote) I just skip over the likes and check on the quote.

I do agree that it has definitely gotten out of hand.

Yeah that's probably a better way of doing things, at least then you've got something to discuss. Funnily enough I hardly ever use the like button on Facebook as I find that site creepy in the way it profiles you to the nth degree for advertising purposes and most of the funny posts are just try hard not actually amusing.

Am I the only one who looks at who likes my posts to know who to talk too?

Like R1600 says above that sounds like the best reason to use it. It is hard to track your postings so that functionality is undoubtedly very useful.

Hm. I don't have it but I'm not sure I could tell you how to avoid it (he says knowing that he's damn well going to try because he's a busybody like that). I imagine if you've gotten into writing with likes and such as part of the feedback mechanism that could be quite hard to detach from, as that's just part of the culture.

Don't get me wrong, I like it when people get enough from my posts to bother pushing a button. I think it's a natural human reaction to appreciate approval. I'm known to be somewhat verbose (understatement of the year candidate right here, please) but I'll write those posts whether I get likes or not. But if you find that whether you get likes or not is affecting you, that could be irritating.

I would suggest trying writing on a forum with either anonymity or no feedback at all. A blog with social media turned off perhaps, or one of the chans if you're feeling keen. That or try something where feedback has to be more explicit than a simple like, something where if people want to respond they have to write you a comment back. Train yourself to either be self-contained in terms of the satisfaction you get from posting, or at least only affected by actual critique rather than an impersonal and arbitrary button.

Writing (and communicating in general) can and should be a joy in and of itself. It's fun, even if there's no one else watching. I say this while writing a 30+ page report that I know damn well most people I give it to won't get past the first page or two. But that's fine, I'm actually writing it for me and if anyone else gets something out of it that's a bonus.

There's nothing wrong with enjoying likes, but see if you can find what you like about writing on the internet even without that particular Skinner button.

*I have also just got back from travelling and relentlessly mocking every person I saw taking a selfie. There were a lot. Personally, I'd rather be a faceless voice on the internet. I make fun of tin foil hat folk, but at the same time surveillance is a very real thing in the modern connected era.

Ha I'm not a selfie person myself either. I'd rather be taking pictures of others and interesting, beautiful things etc. I see enough of my self in the mirror everyday! Some good suggestions and comments though thanks. Although I must admit I've never really understood "the chans" as the only ones I know about are the ones with questionable content or the meme factories. I'm assuming there's more than that then?

I don't do social media but I do throw likes on videos I watch much of the time as I assume it has something to do with monetization and algorithms or some other such important stuff for people posting on the Youtubez. Mostly golf videos these days...gotta get that handicap down:cheers:

Yes that's true with Youtube although I have to say I do use the like functionality more as a bookmark for viewing again than purely liking a video. I'm probably doing it wrong! Just like when people review products they buy online and they review the service they got and not the product... that irritates me!

I, like Joey, use likes here to show general agreement with what a person has posted. For the most part i do on FB as well, which is the only other form of social media that i am active on. YT i omit because i dont bother with their cancerous comment section. I just go for the articles... sorry, videos....
I do use the like button a little more liberally on FB. For pictures and whatnot, but i only have friends and family on my facebook as well. I was never one to try and achieve some sort of high score on my friends list. I dont need a bunch of smucks i dont know validating my internet life.
Like others. I dont really check my notifications for likes, just to see if conversations have continued to move along oor of something I've said has been quoted. Same on Facebook.
However, getting likes is a quick, cheap, dopamine hitter. I definitely can see how it becomes a problem for some people. double so if someone you perceive as important likes or reply in kind to a post of yours. Not sure how someone prone to getting hooked on likes avoids it though, aside from dumping social media altogether.

Yeah Youtube comments aren't good are they. I know because I go on them a lot and you spend 5 minutes putting a decent post together and get bugger all in return but when you reply with something a bit "out there" you're guaranteed something. The whole thing encourages s*** posting sadly. I think this should be number one thing to dump thinking about it. Watch the videos then get out of there pronto!

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Yeah you do. You just do it on a beter website than most people.

And if you play GT Sport that's the same! Likes for your photos, replays, comments on other people's replays etc. Another example of this stuff being everywhere.
 
Is a forum really social media though?
I'd argue that it is. Is it a dedicated platform like others that are generally considered such? No, it's more sophisticated (the platform itself...no ego-stroking going on with that adjective) than them, but it fits my definition (and Wiki's, though it specifies "computer-mediated" and "internet-based" and I say those just simplify use and expand its reach).

Anyway, I "like" largely to acknowledge having absorbed an assertion made as it pertains to the context in which it was made, and to say that I align myself with--or find humor in--something therein.

I admit I investigate "like" alerts to satisfy my curiosity, particularly when one user is responsible for many in quick succession, because they come in response to old and new comments fairly equally.

I definitely don't tailor my posts around a desire to receive "likes"--my often polarizing statements ought to be indicative of that.
 
I'd argue that it is. Is it a dedicated platform like others that are generally considered such? No, it's more sophisticated (the platform itself...no ego-stroking going on with that adjective) than them, but it fits my definition (and Wiki's, though it specifies "computer-mediated" and "internet-based" and I say those just simplify use and expand its reach).

I think there's a pretty big difference between the traditional social media platforms and something like an internet forum. While Wiki may choose to apply a very broad (ridiculously broad to the point of being almost useless) definition, that's not generally the definition that most people have in mind when they use the term.

Social media is mostly based around the self; you post information about yourself, what you're eating, photos of what you're doing. Discussion may or may not eventuate around that, but ultimately it's all about you. Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are all perfect examples of this.

A forum is generally a bunch of people united by a topic. On a more granular level, we post threads about specific discussion points and talk about them. Information about individuals is generally withheld and not really encouraged. Your opinion and ability to voice it clearly is what matters, not who you are. If you're reading back through a thread the actual posters don't really matter unless you're trying to filter out the trolls and idiots, you could just as well replace all the names with tripcodes and get the same information out of the thread.

People can use a forum to disseminate information about themselves and provoke discussion on that information, but outside of a few specific threads it's very uncommon here and on forums in general. It's just not what they're built for. Likewise, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are terrible places to have a discussion although you can if you try. Again, it's just not what they're fundamentally built for.
 
One good thing about having a "like" option is it can cut down on needless parrot posts and keep threads clean. That has nothing to do with things like facebook though where people are needy of attention or think likes can further a cause.
 
One good thing about having a "like" option is it can cut down on needless parrot posts and keep threads clean. That has nothing to do with things like facebook though where people are needy of attention or think likes can further a cause.
This is probably the biggest reason whey I come to GTP and don't do social media. Each contribution is unique, there's very little repetition. The language is respectful which is a huge bonus for me and there's no spam or porn or just plain nonsense.

EDIT: I should add that I'd like more than just a "like" option. RD has a small selection of options including beer, agree, disagree etc. I know why it's kept simple around here but I do wish we had some more options to be a little more discriminating with our support. Nothing over the top, not even a dislike button but just a few more fun options. I know there's many times I'd like to tag something with funny or beer!!!
 
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it's making us insecure about posting what we really think

Nah, getting banned stops me from posting what I really think :lol:

Like, or rating systems should drive people to deliver better quality content, and people should use it with that in mind. Doesn't really matter to me if people get personal satisfaction from it, what bothers me is when poor content gets promotion via like systems. If you 'like' stuff that you genuinely think is good, then it doesn't matter so much that this information is harvested for selling stuff to you.
 
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