Over-Sharing on Facebook

I see a lot of negativity in the social media world aimed at people who share pictures and stories about their children on a regular basis. Although it has not ever been directed at me personally to my knowledge, it sometimes makes me feel self-conscious about the updates I share. Then I take a step back and remind myself that I have no reason to feel that way.

I have an eclectic group of friends on Facebook that have many different interests, some of which I couldn't care less about (Such as sports or who they are currently fighting via text message). I do, however, care about my friends and want to hear about their lives. That's why I have subscribed to their updates. I think it is only right to assume that people feel the same about me if they have chosen to be "friends" with me.

This article, which I read this evening, made a very good point. Everyone tends to over-share, whether it is about their children or not. I have a couple different thoughts about this. For one, I think that people are less inhibited by the face to face social barriers that stop us from saying too much in person. You can't see anyone's reaction, so there is less embarrassment if the reaction is negative. But mostly, I think people are craving reassurance, connection, and validation from each other.

However, I do not think that sharing pictures of your children on a daily basis, or letting me know how you feel about the football game you are watching is too much information. There is a limit, of course- I'm not interested in seeing graphic pictures of what your son ate after it came out the other end, nor do I want an every-20-second play by play of the game I have no interest in. Am I going to "un-friend" you because of it? No, but I'll probably hide that particular post. Honestly, the only thing that really gets to me on Facebook is negativity. Too many "The World Hates Me" posts will probably get you axed from my newsfeed.

I have three major reasons why I share regular updates about my children on Facebook. My number one reason is that I am proud of my children! I love them, and I want to share their accomplishments with my friends. Also important to me is the fact that I have many friends and family members who live far away and are not able to see us as much as they want to. These people enjoy my updates and it is a great way to share despite the distance. My third reason is simply the fact that I am home with my children all day, and if I didn't talk about them, I'd have nothing to talk about!

I'm not going to apologize for my updates and pictures of my children, nor will I discontinue posting them if someone decides to get their panties in a wad over it. I genuinely like seeing what my friends are up to via Facebook, and I assume they enjoy seeing what we're doing. If that's not the case, then I imagine it's a lot easier to click the "Hide Updates" button than it is to complain about it.