We think so highly of ourselves. Social networking sites don’t help either. We always have to prove something to someone, out-do our friends and prove to the world that we’re not like “them.” Whoever “them” may be this week. But all that talk just makes us look silly because we usually end up proving that we’re nothing spectacular and we’re a lot more like “them” than we’d like to let on.
This week, many of us showed our hypocrisy when we wasted hours of our work day on a frivolous conversation about a song, myself included. When Control dropped and everyone either heard the song or saw the reactions to the song, all hell broke loose on timelines and newsfeeds across the WWW. I saw far too many people breaking self-made rules, contradicting statuses they posted last week and acting like total asses over something that had absolutely nothing to do with them.
But we’re all better than that right?
Wrong. And there’s so much more that we constantly do that sends that message. We talk about how we’re too good for this, we’d never do that, we’re off that and above this, but honestly we’re just as guilty as the next. Here are a few things that many claim to be above and yet still end up doing anyway… With or without excuses.
Online debates
If Kendrick Lamar forced rappers to step their bars up, he forced fans to turn into grade A critics. Almost everywhere I turned there was another argument on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram about whether or not the verse was good, whether or not it was actually a diss and whether or not any responses could be taken seriously. It was mayhem I tell you, mayhem! Everyone arguing and stating their opinion, trying their darndest to make it fact. Mamas getting called out, dead rappers getting defended, irrelevant rappers gaining relevancy. All on these networking sites we claim we don’t argue on. But you know it was all in the name of hip-hop. But usually, we don’t do that. Right……..
Braggadocio
We all have that friend who shoves their lives down our throats one status update at a time. “New job, new house, new car, new man. Living that good life.” Its annoying as hell. We hate those people. We’re not like those people. We don’t need to prove to the world that our lives are good. If they’re posting about how good their lives are, they must be lying. BUT, let us have something to brag about and it’s all bets off. And let’s face it, some things are just worth bragging about; an engagement ring, a new job, winning the lottery. But for the most part you just look like an asshole when you remind the rest of us miserable folks how great your life is every day. Nobody cares!
Relationship Updates
Speaking of nobody caring, I personally have beef with those folks who insist on putting every little detail of their relationship on the web for all to see. Nobody cares about how much you love your boyfriend, nobody wants to know about your 6 month anniversary, nobody wants to see 5 million pictures of the two of you doing absolutely nothing together. And even more so, nobody wants to hear about every argument, break up, or side chick trying to break you up. The people who do this are just terrible. One, it makes them look stupid and two, it just gives everyone the chance to meddle and cause more issues. And yet, we often do the same. I know I’m not ALWAYS above an “I have an amazing boyfriend” post. And in the past, I definitely wasn’t above a “Fuck that n*gga” post either. And most of you all have your moments as well. Most of the time it’s no harm no foul if done once in a blue moon. But once in a blue moon you still look like the silly fools who do it like, every day.
Typos (that ain’t no typo, you just spelled the word wrong)
If some folks edited their own high school essays the way they edit other people’s posts, they may have gotten much farther in life. You know the grammar nazis are out there. Hell, you’re one of them. You hate people who misspell words. They’re incompetent. Their arguments are dismissed because they left out an apostrophe and used the wrong their, they’re, there. But guess what, I saw you say affect instead of effect and you don’t need to put that comma before the last article in that series. We all f*ck up, but have us tell it, we have impeccable grammar and can out-spell anyone. Psssshhhhhhhh!
The fact of the matter is 90% of what we do on social networking sites is probably something we shouldn’t be doing. Whether its being conceited, ratchet, prideful, or completely ignorant and annoying, its all wrong. We’re all wrong. Yes, those who do all the wrong things in excess are far more annoying than the rest, but we’re just as annoying when we do it. But being wrong is natural. It’s going to happen. You’re going to argue about Jesus with a Christian on Facebook. You’re going to brag about your new gold watch, n*gga, n*gga, n*gga. You’re going to get mad at a chick and ask why females don’t know a real man when they see one. We’re human. Shit happens.
Just make sure to wait a week after you show your ass to go on talking bad about the other people who do the same thing.
Cover Photo: Kendrick Lamar at the 2012 Pitchfork Music Festival. Sunday, July 15, 2012. Photo by Joseph Mohan.