Facebook has been swept over by a wave of people posting 25 things about themselves. Are those guys too vain? Should I be upset at how much time they waste? I can’t believe they would post such stupid stuff. That’s the approach that Claire Suddath decided to take in her article about the 25 things craze on Time.com. She mocks the 25 things meme, and insults the lists that her friends have written. It could be all in jest, but it doesn’t come out that way. I’m convinced that Ms. Suddath is just a grumpy person. It’s certainly true that lots of people (including myself) that are on Facebook sometimes post things like this because they feel like showing off, but should we mock them for it? And if Claire doesn’t want to read all these things, why does she click on the links? If she doesn’t care about her college roommate’s sister, why is she friends with them? She says it’s because “Facebook is a loose social network” and that “a ‘friend’ on Facebook might translate to someone you’d barely recognize in real life.”, but she’s the one that chose to define her network that way when she accepted to add the invitation to be friends.
A much better approach is this story, shared with my by Margret on Facebook (gasp!). For those of you who are wondering, yes, I actually know Margret in real life. In this “Direct Reply to ’25 Random Things’“, Rex Huppke takes a different approach at making fun of Facebook users with his form-letter approach to crafting a response to a friend’s 25 things list. It works because of its lighter tone, rather than the grumpiness of Ms. Suddath’s article.
I guess it’s time to start my own 25 things list, but only after I finish my own grumpy letter:
Dear Mr. President,
There are too many states nowadays. Please eliminate three.
P.S. I am not a crackpot.
I am just riled up reading your review of your this lady’s article. And here I was feeling guilty about making people feel bad when I posted that I appreciated appropriately-used apostrophes. I hope she gets de-friended.
It cracks me up, the whole hypocrisy of her article. Why is she writing an article in TIME, all full of her own opinions? Sounds pretty narcissistic to me. And “most people aren’t funny, they aren’t insightful, and they share way too much” — amen; this lady isn’t funny OR insightful.
Also: “800,000 hours of worktime productivity lost” — maybe I’m naive enough to think that many people did this on their own time, not their employer’s? (Then again, I’m just a lowly homemaker, not a writer for TIME; what do I know?) (Then again, *I* didn’t waste my time perusing friends-of-friends-of-friends’ 25 things lists; nor do I “Twitter.”) (I guess she does it for her JOB.) (Maybe *I* should take over her job; it doesn’t take a lot of talent to write an article that 25 different people wrote for you and be grouchy the rest of the time.)
I’ve liked the 25-things meme. I’ve gotten a few laughs out of some peoples; others, I’ve learned more about who they are. (Most people I know didn’t post things as silly as she posted. She must have some pretty wacked-out friends. And friends-of-friends. And friends-of-friends-of-friends.)
Oh, and I also loved the post Margret shared, by the way. (I also know Margret in real life.)
I like the 25 things thing. It’s funny and ….insightful? Anyway, I keep telling my husband to write his but he never does. He’s kind of grumpy. You should tell him to do it…and say nice things about his nice wife.
Also, you quoted Simpson’s…just like me! In fact, I listed that on my 25 random things post! How convenient!
Wait, what? Julia has never commented on this blog before. I thought it was my place to say mean things about her behind her back. 😛
I’m still working on my 25 things list. I’m just slow.
Hi Alex,
Long time reader, first time commenter! I just thought I’d shake things up today. So “Watch your back”. (That’s a quote from the Office)
Anyway, I think the public would love to hear your thoughts on how awesome your wife is. Just a suggestion. I love you!