-First off, I apologize to anyone that posted one and I’m offending.
- Second, let me enjoy my cranky old man, get off my lawn moment…
I rarely go on social media, but I had to log on yesterday and was hit with a barrage of posts from parents announcing that their child "committed" to various colleges. As a parent myself, I get being proud of your kids' accomplishments, but…
Why do we need to make such a public proclamation about where our 17-year-olds are going to school? It feels like a humble-brag taken to an extreme level. Are we just doing it for the likes and comments at this point? I'm proud of my own kids, but I don't feel the need to blast it out for the world to see and congratulate me.
And why does it seem like there's an unofficial designated day where everyone tries to one-up each other with these posts? These aren’t athletes committing on signing day, just regular college kids “announcing their commitment” on the last day to accept an offer.
The whole thing strikes me as a bit cringeworthy. At the end of the day, it's great that our kids are moving on, but it's THEIR accomplishment, not ours. Just my curmudgeonly two cents!
I don't mean to be too harsh. But do I completely miss the mark here? Did I officially cross over to a social media hating old geezer?
Get the fuck off social media. It represents, embodies and encompasses vanity, narcissism and rehearsed/contrived nonsense. I will scream it from the hilltops until the day I die. Get the fuck off it already.
I have friends who will die on this hill too but it comes down to the person. My ig feed is nothing but my interests and hobbys. Keeps me plugged into the musicians I like and when theyre playing. It's real easy to ignore people who say dumb shit, and at this point in my life it's the best way to keep tabs on my friends because most are scattered all over the country. I dont look at it every day and I post rarely/in spurts. Social media ain't going anywhere, but it can absolutely be a positive thing.
They aren't allowed to share a proud parent moment of their son or daughter getting accepted into college after working hard in high school to make that happen?
WTF is wrong with some of you?
I think there is something lost in translation here.
I think most us think you should be proud of your kids getting into college and there is nothing wrong posting that.
I think the point that most of us are talking about is the "intent" of some people.
This topic is not new, This is the new-age "keeping up with the Joneses" mentality.
Based on the responses, it seems you're either a world-class parent who celebrates every single sneeze and finger painting from little Braydyn, or you're basically negligent trailer trash who withholds love and affection. No in-between!
To those saying "What's wrong with being proud of your kid?", yeah no kidding! I'm drowning in paternal pride over here. I burst out crying tears of joy when my kids successfully operate the automatic soap dispensers in public restrooms.
Clearly I've been outed as a neglectful Grinch who gnaws on bars of hatred because I don't spam my feed with my kids' honor roll certificates and remedial bug-eating contests. Sorry for depriving all of high-quality content to narcissistically live vicariously through! 😏
In all seriousness though, can't we maybe find a middle ground between Mom Overshare-asaurus Rexes and bitter malcontent husks? Just a thought from this admitted social media Scrooge!
You want to share, cool. My initial issue was why yesterday? Why use the word "committed"? Did you really wait till the last second deadline to decide?
You would appreciate this story, I was talking to someone the other day, they referenced their son as "my sweet Billy" multiple times in a single conversation, but as I was listening I figured out that "my sweet Billy" was 24 years old. LOL. My first thought, "thank god I am not friends with you on facebook"
Quote:
I am so happy I removed myself from every social media outlet known to mankind. What a fucking poxy on humanity.
Get the fuck off social media. It represents, embodies and encompasses vanity, narcissism and rehearsed/contrived nonsense. I will scream it from the hilltops until the day I die. Get the fuck off it already.
I have friends who will die on this hill too but it comes down to the person. My ig feed is nothing but my interests and hobbys. Keeps me plugged into the musicians I like and when theyre playing. It's real easy to ignore people who say dumb shit, and at this point in my life it's the best way to keep tabs on my friends because most are scattered all over the country. I dont look at it every day and I post rarely/in spurts. Social media ain't going anywhere, but it can absolutely be a positive thing.
I get it, and I am not judging at all. I doom scroll reddit every day but don't have an account. Used to do the same on FB but I was too tempted to join in on the political conspiracy nonsense and just felt i'd be better off without it. We all have guilty pleasures. I just think as a whole it's perpetuating discourse and misinformation.
Quote:
In comment 16503694 djm said:
Quote:
I am so happy I removed myself from every social media outlet known to mankind. What a fucking poxy on humanity.
Get the fuck off social media. It represents, embodies and encompasses vanity, narcissism and rehearsed/contrived nonsense. I will scream it from the hilltops until the day I die. Get the fuck off it already.
I have friends who will die on this hill too but it comes down to the person. My ig feed is nothing but my interests and hobbys. Keeps me plugged into the musicians I like and when theyre playing. It's real easy to ignore people who say dumb shit, and at this point in my life it's the best way to keep tabs on my friends because most are scattered all over the country. I dont look at it every day and I post rarely/in spurts. Social media ain't going anywhere, but it can absolutely be a positive thing.
I get it, and I am not judging at all. I doom scroll reddit every day but don't have an account. Used to do the same on FB but I was too tempted to join in on the political conspiracy nonsense and just felt i'd be better off without it. We all have guilty pleasures. I just think as a whole it's perpetuating discourse and misinformation.
Yup, just comes down to the person. My friend likes to complain that social media is the worst and we don't need it, UT the truth is he can't see something he disagrees with without telling the person all about it lol.
Thank you! "humble brag" is so f*cking annoying. Like adding "humble" to the beginning makes it not a brag. Tools
And one doesn't have to be firmly on one side or the other. I wasn't on social media when my son graduated HS and decided to go to UVM. My wife may have posted it on FB, but I don't recall. But I can sit firmly in the middle and say that while I may not do the same thing, I have zero issue with those who do.
It's certainly FAR better than 99.9999% of bullshit political memes that thrive on social media.
I'll never judge anyone for celebrating and being involved in their child's life. Some may take it too far, but I suppose it's better than the alternative (I know plenty who fall into that category). Never in a million years would I post anything like that.
As noted, I just find it fascinating.
You are supposed to graduate HS, you dumb motherfuckers.
My asian parents didn't even go to my HS or college graduation. They only showed up to my medical school graduation.
roll' windshield sticker
People can be what they want on social media. One poster told me he was retired (without me asking) and then on another post shortly after he was now semi-retired (to another poster and again not asked). Then on another post he couldn't afford a Ferrari (to another poster shortly after)......what a talent.
People can be what they want on social media. One poster told me he was retired (without me asking) and then on another post shortly after he was now semi-retired (to another poster and again not asked). Then on another post he couldn't afford a Ferrari (to another poster shortly after)......what a talent.
What does my personal employment history have to do with your view on high school sports awards?
Quote:
In comment 16503713 j_rud said:
Quote:
In comment 16503694 djm said:
Quote:
I am so happy I removed myself from every social media outlet known to mankind. What a fucking poxy on humanity.
Get the fuck off social media. It represents, embodies and encompasses vanity, narcissism and rehearsed/contrived nonsense. I will scream it from the hilltops until the day I die. Get the fuck off it already.
I have friends who will die on this hill too but it comes down to the person. My ig feed is nothing but my interests and hobbys. Keeps me plugged into the musicians I like and when theyre playing. It's real easy to ignore people who say dumb shit, and at this point in my life it's the best way to keep tabs on my friends because most are scattered all over the country. I dont look at it every day and I post rarely/in spurts. Social media ain't going anywhere, but it can absolutely be a positive thing.
I get it, and I am not judging at all. I doom scroll reddit every day but don't have an account. Used to do the same on FB but I was too tempted to join in on the political conspiracy nonsense and just felt i'd be better off without it. We all have guilty pleasures. I just think as a whole it's perpetuating discourse and misinformation.
Yup, just comes down to the person. My friend likes to complain that social media is the worst and we don't need it, UT the truth is he can't see something he disagrees with without telling the person all about it lol.
Maybe one day we will learn how to navigate the waters and live better in this age of tech/information. We just aren't there yet. I am sure there some old gas bags back in the early 1900s saying the locomotive would lead to our ruin. Diseases traveled better. Stupid people starting showing up in towns that used to be stupid free.
One of the cool things about social media is the ability to access a broader cross section of experts on a topic. One of the not cool things is the volume of non-experts on topics.
I thought Google plus or whatever was the right idea, a circle with your family, a circle with your friends, and a circle with your work where stuff could overlap. But I guess I post occasionally on BBI so I'm a SM user but this seems different.
To each their own.
Even an athlete, I think it's over the top, but at least there is some added context there. Even then, I've seen some grand posts for DIII schools, where it's not even a scholarship.
You are supposed to graduate HS, you dumb motherfuckers.
My asian parents didn't even go to my HS or college graduation. They only showed up to my medical school graduation.
I'm glad we didn't skip his HS graduation. The venue alone, in Arthur Ashe Stadium, was prime. But, then what a surprise to see in the program that Bill Clinton was the guest speaker. When an unannounced Schumer showed up to speak, we thought he must have been a substitute. But, he was extra. Clinton did speak. Like him or not, it was a sight. It was like a rock star came.
I don’t get why people get so bent out of shape about things other people do that have exactly zero impact on your life. Live and let live.
Quote:
Every douchebag parents has giant, elaborate "Congatulations Aiden for Graduating HS" on the front lawn.
You are supposed to graduate HS, you dumb motherfuckers.
My asian parents didn't even go to my HS or college graduation. They only showed up to my medical school graduation.
I didn't even go to my own college graduation lol
I wanted to skip mine but my family insisted that we go. I am with penkap: it was what I was supposed to do.
They aren't allowed to share a proud parent moment of their son or daughter getting accepted into college after working hard in high school to make that happen?
WTF is wrong with some of you?
They aren't allowed to share a proud parent moment of their son or daughter getting accepted into college after working hard in high school to make that happen?
WTF is wrong with some of you?
There is nothing wrong with 📯 John where your kid has decided to go for college on social media IMO. But it is the word "committed," that bothers me. Commiting to a school is when a college athlete accepts a scholarship to that school over others. For all the other regular kids, it is no commitment. Nobody cares if you go or not, the school will just happily go down the list to the next kid with basically the same academic qualifications whose parents are willing to pay 80k-100k for the privilege to send their kid to their college.
They aren't allowed to share a proud parent moment of their son or daughter getting accepted into college after working hard in high school to make that happen?
WTF is wrong with some of you?
Exactly.
To me, gender reveals are effing stupid. The girls get/got a baby shower for each other and that is pretty traditional to take care of each other. Now husbands are expected to go (Eff that!). I don't get gender reveals. What is the point? Kids will be born one way or another and healthy, hopefully.
But this is the new world order. So I ignore it because it is not my business. If it makes people happy, then good for them.
To me, gender reveals are effing stupid. The girls get/got a baby shower for each other and that is pretty traditional to take care of each other. Now husbands are expected to go (Eff that!). I don't get gender reveals. What is the point? Kids will be born one way or another and healthy, hopefully.
But this is the new world order. So I ignore it because it is not my business. If it makes people happy, then good for them.
Exactly. Not everything has to be a big pretentious show. Just call or text your friends and family with: "It's a boy or it's a girl"
---FIN---
I thought Google plus or whatever was the right idea, a circle with your family, a circle with your friends, and a circle with your work where stuff could overlap. But I guess I post occasionally on BBI so I'm a SM user but this seems different.
To each their own.
It's like any other tool or program. Social media is not inherently good or bad, it's all in how you use it.
I enjoyed the opportunity to get back in touch with a whole ton of people from school and my past that I fell out of touch with. But at the same time, I never post just to post or try to humblebrag or make people think I'm somebody I'm not or compliment fish.
Some people also live vicariously through their children, some do not....
I'm guilty of a lot of things in life, but stuff like bragging and living vicariously through my kids, I am not.
I guess it's a personality and preference thing, and as a fairly quiet introvert, that is just not my way of moving.
I didn't even go to my own college graduation lol
I wanted to skip mine but my family insisted that we go. I am with penkap: it was what I was supposed to do.
Lol. Yeah. I think every average 22-25 year old dude doesn't want to go to that stupid shit but goes just to shut their mom up.
Get the fuck off social media. It represents, embodies and encompasses vanity, narcissism and rehearsed/contrived nonsense. I will scream it from the hilltops until the day I die. Get the fuck off it already.
The fact you are in fact posting this on social media is the definition of irony that eludes so many.
Putting up a sign on the lawn or a social media post helping these kids maintain some connection to normalcy seems like a small intrusion on your lives.
Of course a lot of social media is about dopamine and narcissism but many apps also allow people to communicate more widely to others who do care about what the person has to say.
Celebrating high school graduation to me is like celebrating new years but I understand why people do it. In the 50’s and 60’s around 50% of students went to college (lower for most minority groups) and high school graduation represented the beginning of their adult life. Some people got jobs, others learned a trade, some went into the military. As time evolved and now upwards of 75% of students attend college old habits die hard.
The worst thing about social media to me is not the narcissism it is the anonymity. It allows people the protection to say things they would not say without the anonymity and I feel like that has eroded a societal level of respect or fear that existed (or maybe I am just making it that way in my mind)
Are a few people bragging? Probably. So what? Get over your holier-than-though selves.
I've worked with enough data personalization and complex algorithms to know I appreciate BBI isn't programmatically trying to insite upset in me. The Giants are doing a good enough job at that the old fashioned way.
I find the ubiquity of text messages and WhatsApp groups to be sufficient in staying up-to-date with my friends and family. Those platforms naturally create a filter of relevance.
If my niece gets into Smith, my mom or sister will let me know. If the daughter of a lady I worked with 3 jobs ago and follow on Instagram gets into Brown, I'm not interested.
BBI is an interesting case. I've met some great people over the years on here. And I've made some nice virtual friendships on and off the site. I find it charming and humanizing when folks share personal details here because part of the compact of the community is respect and support.
Quote:
I'm glad you said "humble brag" because that's exactly what people do. They just brag while trying pass it off as being humble, but it's a brag at the end of the day.
Thank you! "humble brag" is so f*cking annoying. Like adding "humble" to the beginning makes it not a brag. Tools
Linkedin is pathetic now:
"I never usually do thus but"
"Humble brag"
"25 yr olds with sage management advice"
There is almost no business/technical things of interest, its just another facebook for business people.
Agree - the "bed parties" are a bit much. I've seen some really over the top displays that are ultimately pointless.
I am very proud of my kids and their achievements and how hard they've worked. It does nothing for me to put that on facebook.
When my son went to college, I joined a facebook group for parents of new students at his school. I thought I'd get good updates and tips and I did get a few but holy hell what a disaster. It then turned into post after post of the decorated freshman dorm room, then just the most inane questions. "Where can my son find an ATM?" "How does the laundry work?" I told my son if he can't find an ATM and figure out how to do laundry he'll need to get along broke and with dirty clothes.
So yeah, get off my lawn too. I would delete Facebook entirely but I do have some family that lives at a distance and it does help keep up with what they're up to when they post.
And before anyone says, "we're not bitching"...remember that the OP actually took the time to create a thread dedicated to this topic that then number of other people joined to add their own gripes about. I would consider that bitching.
Let the parents brag (not even humble brag). If a parent want to shout to the world that their Johnny got into college, let them. Let them feel good about it. What's the harm in that? We've all got enough self-agency to just ignore it and move along.
But because it wasn't important to your parents doesn't mean that it shouldn't be important to you (or others). I hope you don't do the same and not attend your children's high school or college graduations (or even pre-school, elementary, or middle school "graduations).
And I also have my own Asian parents, who rarely displayed pride in what I or my brother accomplished until we went to college, so I understand your situation.
I hear congratulations announcements on the radio as if it's some big milestone or something. All you really need to do is just show up and you'll get your piece of paper, lol.
Now of course the student has to fininsh things off by actually finishing/good grades/getting a job.....but I have zero problem with it.
Proud moment for parents and the kids.