Liking Things On Facebook Is An Inaccurate Representation Of How I Truly Feel

There’s a lot of pressure to “like” things on Facebook.  But sometimes, “liking” stuff doesn’t correctly convey the way I feel.  (Despite the first line of this article.)  

Sure, it’s easy to “like” stuff like “These kitties are adorable!” [picture of kitties] because, yeah, those kitties are adorable.  Everybody knows that.

But other times, it’s like, you clearly posted an inside joke that only a couple of people would get, so I feel compelled to “like” it to validate the joke you are making.  Maybe you write something like, “Sea bass anybody?” and then I feel like I have to “like” that because that’s some joke between us.  But to the outside world it looks like “Sea bass anybody?”… Nicole Beckley likes this.  Which just makes it seem like I’m into sea bass.  Which is not an accurate portrayal of how I feel. 

Then, there’s the other kind of “like” I feel compelled to make.  The acknowledgment like.  This happens whenever my name is tagged.  You wanted me to see something, so I’m just letting you know I did.  I saw it.  “Right, Nicole?”… Nicole Beckley likes this.

But sometimes, things get more complicated.  For instance, maybe I have a friend who is a journalist and they wrote a great article and I’m proud of them and I want to “like” it.  And maybe I do.  Then, to the outside world it looks like, “Mexican Tourism Declines As Drug Violence Escalates”… Nicole Beckley likes this. 

Wait, what?!  That’s, no, that’s not why I like this.  Its just cause, my friend, wait… no, I’m not, like, taking pleasure in the success of the drug cartels.  This is an inaccurate representation of how I truly feel!

Other types of confusing “likes”:

Ironic likes – there’s no way more than 12,000 people genuinely like Milli Vanilli’s Facebook page

Unintended Sarcasm likes – when your lactose-intolerant friend keep posting about how great ice cream is, but you don’t know about their lactose thing and think they’re being sincere

Potentially Devious likes – when you “like” something just so you can get updates on it in your newsfeed

Unicorn likes – when you exclusively like things that involve unicorns

Un-likes – when you like something and then un-like it immediately afterward

Misery Loves Company likes – when you like people’s posts about how they’re having a terrible time, cause you are too

Stalker? likes – when there’s somebody who, no matter what time it is, always immediately likes a post you’ve made