Trends and sayings that I’m totally over in 2017

Social media is kind of the pits lately.  I think I would totally give it up if I didn’t need to use it so much for the blog.  Between tragedies, political garbage, and the fact that people feel like they can be just absolutely horrible when hiding behind their computer screens, it’s literally turning our world into a disaster zone.  You know how video killed the radio star (or supposedly anyway)?  Social media is killing humanity.  It’s ruining human decency, how our children are raised, and our outlook on the world.  Now bullying and ignorance is rampant, teens take 1000’s of photos of themselves daily and are constantly comparing themselves with the images and lifestyles that are projected in photos (no matter how doctored or fake these images are).  *unicorn in the photo below is not real.

Everything is FAKE!  It’s so hard to find truth in news – Tom Petty died and was alive 20 times in one day – even by major networks.  Anyone can publish anything on Facebook or Twitter, and it can get shared millions of times and distorted as truth.

I don’t know when local sites started publishing horrible AP news from other states…but I feel like it was within the last two year.  Ninety percent of the dramatic headlines on my local news facebook page are from another part of the country.  It’s complete clickbait and it just adds to so much negativity!  I don’t need to read about every tortured and abused child across the country, thinking that it happened in the local area.  Teens don’t need to see this stuff when they are on social media.

I cannot even imagine growing up with any form of social media existing.  Every mistake, every embarrassing moment can be captured by anyone with a phone and posted for the world to see.  Teens make a lot of mistakes and have tons of embarrassing moments.  That has to be damaging.  I shudder at the thought that my kids are going to go through this…its only going to get worse.

So what started off as a quick post of things that I’m over on social media, led to word vomit about how I’m actually over social media.  I only want to read about friends and families lives, and see their photos.  That’s what it started as.  I want that back.  Even if I were to unfollow every news source, it’s constantly shared in my newsfeed by others.  Unfortunately I need social media as a means of finding out about events and such to post on Columbus on the Cheap…so I cannot escape as long as I wish to continue writing.  I do however need to commit to not reading any comments on any news.  Sometimes I’m just curious, and sometimes I think there will be additional info…but it’s ruining my view on humanity and is a huge waste of my time.

Back to the plan….I’m totally over these things and words on social media (and in life, in general)

• Comment about _____ with a gif.  Actually gif anything.  I can’t stand them, and I can’t verbalize why.  It’s probably no surprise because I don’t use emojis, and these are just a more involved version of emojis.  You know what I like?  Words.
• Squad.  Just tired of this word.  Friends, family – your people…that’s what you have.  If you’re over 25, squad seems like such a juvenile term to use.
• ____ goals (ie, relationship goals, friend goals, family goals, squad goals (which is the worst)…all of that.  Goals are great…but stating them in that format bugs me.  It feels like people just want to copy everyone else and what they have – there’s such an obsession with everyone else via social media and reality shows.  Be original and create the life that makes YOU happy.
• “Adulting”,  As in “I don’t feel like adulting today”  That word makes my skin crawl.  It’s called being a grownup, and you don’t really get to take days off.  And yes, I get that everyone feels that way sometimes, but just be lazy and slack off without having to tell the world about it.  Having a cute saying for it doesn’t make it cute.
• Snowflake.  I don’t even know who that word applies to anymore because everyone uses it in both parties.  Basically, if anyone disagrees with anything you say, just call them a snowflake because that means you win and are super mature.  I can’t handle it.  You’re unlikely to change someone’s strong opinion – especially strangers – so stop attacking each other and then calling everyone with a different opinion a snowflake.  Grow the F up.  You sound ridiculous, and like a 6 year old anytime that word comes out of your mouth.
• Political generalizations.  Trumpettes, libtards, snowflakes…any term to lump everyone who didn’t vote for your particular presidential choice is ridiculous.  When you cast a vote, you are not locked into agreeing with every statement and every move that a particular person makes – nor do you have to attack every one on the opposing “side” (because you guys, we are sooo divided in this country that its scary).  Every democrat doesn’t want (insert blanket statement).  Every republican doesn’t want (insert blanket statement).  You know what?  Our candidates sucked.  I know that there were plenty of HC die hards, and plenty of DT enthusiasts, but the majority of people were pretty torn about the choices for a variety of reasons.  That’s probably how you end up with popular vote vs. electoral vote result that occurred.  So let’s chill out on attacking each other on a constant basis and assuming everyone who didn’t vote for your choice is looking to ruin everything about your life.  (if you got a political opinion/side out of this paragraph, you missed the point and are trying too hard to make something out of everything)

So these are the things that bug me lately.  You don’t have to agree…everyone has quirks.  If you love every single one of them, we can probably still be friends…its not that serious.  Do you like Boof’s Halloween costume?  $3 at Target.  I rarely put clothing on her, but she actually loves it.  She’ll run over and sit down in front of me.  But if I’m being honest, it’s because she knows that I’m going to take her picture and she’ll get a treat.  She’s smart.