Most people will readily admit that the majority of the time that they spend on social networks, such as Facebook, is consumed with scrolling, the occasional ‘like’ or ‘comment,’ and repeatedly hitting the ‘refresh’ button. The contents of Facebook are often only half-processed by viewers, but the allure of the constant stream of other people’s private information often proves to be too much to resist. The question is, is there simply too much information being shared on Facebook and is it worth the time for avid readers of the posts?
The majority of the information passing through social networks is extraneous and often pushes important posts further down the feed. Although the entire purpose of social media is admittedly to share information with others, it remains that an excess of it will ultimately degrade its quality. Yes, the internet is supposed to be a fast-paced and constantly evolving environment, but it should be somewhat substantial or meaningful. Let’s be honest: Does everyone really care about every single trite, minute detail of what happens to every single one of their Facebook friends—every meal, every ambiguous song lyric?
For example, 85% of women report feeling annoyed by many of their Facebook friends, especially those who share too much information, according to the online news site WebProNews. The fact remains that, much of the time, too much personal information translates as oversharing—and no one wants that.
Nowadays, people often share posts impulsively, without much thought towards caution. French teacher Madame Von Doehren says, “It’s better to socialize in person rather than through technology.” The results of the latter can be dangerous because individuals are becoming more vulnerable by broadcasting information to a large number of people, some of which they may not know well or at all. Even if these people are “friends,” they not be trustworthy.
Megan Chiu ’17 says, “Teens feel they can expose more on the Internet because it’s not person to person, but in reality, social media is just as dangerous as meeting them since their public information is just as public.”
On the other hand, David Holmes ‘15 asserts, “I do not believe that teenagers are oversharing information on social media because teenagers are very self-conscious about what everyone can see about their lives. They can share it with their personal friends, but they do less so with the general public.”
Although this may be true in certain cases, people generally feel bolder and more protected behind the anonymity of their computer screens and are more inclined to share what they normally would not in person. British website Velocity Digital reports that 25% of Facebook users barely consider the ramifications of sharing information on social networks, not even glancing at privacy settings. Information travels quickly, and once something is online, there are ways for it to spread; sometimes this can be harmless, but there are instances where disregard for privacy can be dangerous.
So, next time, think before clicking on “post.”