Why are people on social media sites overly happy?

S_Spartan

Well-known member
So I dipped my toe into the tub of buttercream frosting known as Twitter. Found a bunch of local people and started reading tweets. Wow, these people sure live some amazing lives! Can't tell you how many times I've seen the words "awesome" "can't wait" "so good" and then there are the inspirational quotes on every screen along with the smiling selfies.

I have nothing against people being positive and maybe their lives really are so good that they are simply bubbling over daily with excitement but it doesn't fit with what I see in real life. It's like a world of it's own and it makes me wonder why people do this.

Are they trying to convince themselves that things are better than they are? Or is this some kind of club for the winners of the world?
 

Odo

Banned
Because they're concerned about how they appear to the world, and carefully construct their online persona according to what they think people would enjoy seeing/being around/etc.
 

Rawz

Well-known member
I think some people do have it that good. I was that happy in January. If I could get back the sleep, functioning and health that I had in January, I would be that happy.
 

Froggy246

Well-known member
Because they're concerned about how they appear to the world, and carefully construct their online persona according to what they think people would enjoy seeing/being around/etc.

Spot on! Well articulated.
 

S_Spartan

Well-known member
Because they're concerned about how they appear to the world, and carefully construct their online persona according to what they think people would enjoy seeing/being around/etc.

It just seems so weird to me. It's not uncommon to see people with 30-40k tweets! That is dedication! So these people will be like 80 years old and still doing this? Will they be "so excited" because they have been having regular bowel movements and so they have to tell the world? And then all their friends will favorite it. Lol.
 

S_Spartan

Well-known member
I think some people do have it that good. I was that happy in January. If I could get back the sleep, functioning and health that I had in January, I would be that happy.

Oh I can't imagine being that happy and having such a charmed life.
 

savagewisdom

Well-known member
So I dipped my toe into the tub of buttercream frosting known as Twitter. Found a bunch of local people and started reading tweets. Wow, these people sure live some amazing lives! Can't tell you how many times I've seen the words "awesome" "can't wait" "so good" and then there are the inspirational quotes on every screen along with the smiling selfies.

I have nothing against people being positive and maybe their lives really are so good that they are simply bubbling over daily with excitement but it doesn't fit with what I see in real life. It's like a world of it's own and it makes me wonder why people do this.

Are they trying to convince themselves that things are better than they are? Or is this some kind of club for the winners of the world?

What you see on social networking sites is generally the highlight reel of people's lives. They want to publicly document what they have to be excited about. I'm not opposed to it, I just keep in mind that there's more to a person than what they choose to disclose on facebook/twitter.
 
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Kiwong

Well-known member
Are they all so happy, or is that just a illusion? They only show what is good about their lives on social media.

Perhaps you are right they are talking their lives up, trying to make it look better than it really is.

I have a theory that people who start posting positive quotes of facebook and twitter probably are facing some sort of internal problem
 

S_Spartan

Well-known member
What you see on social networking sites is generally the highlight reel of people's lives. They want to publicly document what they have to be excited about. I'm not opposed to it, I just keep in mind that there's more to a person than what they choose to disclose on facebook/twitter.

I think people will burn out with this stuff at some point. I can even imagine the pendulum swinging the other way and discretion will become fashionable. I think many people are doing stuff these days just because they can.
 

S_Spartan

Well-known member
Are they all so happy, or is that just a illusion? They only show what is good about their lives on social media.

Perhaps you are right they are talking their lives up, trying to make it look better than it really is.

I have a theory that people who start posting positive quotes of facebook and twitter probably are facing some sort of internal problem

I agree. I think there is a lot of self-validation going on. It sort of creeps me out.
 

Lexus199

Well-known member
It's kind of like how people say, "Hi, how are you?" The expected answer is always "good." Social media follows that expectation.
 

NathanielWingatePeaslee

Iä! Iä! Cthulhu fhtagn!
Staff member
1. I don't have twitter, but on FB nobody on my friend-list acts like they're happy all the time. They post complaints, or silly pictures, or pictures of their animals/kids/friends/spouse. They post stuff related to their political or religious interests. Whom you choose to friend makes a big difference.

2. I'm not likely to post personal problems for the public to see, even the public I chose. As a rule, complaining to the world at large does more harm than good.
 

S_Spartan

Well-known member
It's kind of like how people say, "Hi, how are you?" The expected answer is always "good." Social media follows that expectation.

That is a brilliant observation! But it makes me wonder why it has to be like that. I hope some fancy person in a fancy university is doing a study on this.
 

Hellhound

Super Moderator
-sigh-

Ok, I'll repeat it for the... 177.770th time?

Most people aren't going to tweet "Oh, life hurts... ohh the pain" They will tweet that one thing that happened during their day that made them smile. They are definitely not going to take a selfie frowning, it makes no effing sense. Just because they post some happy messages, it doesn't mean they're problem-free.

I can't believe I have to explain this so many times, guys.
 

S_Spartan

Well-known member
-sigh-

Ok, I'll repeat it for the... 177.770th time?

Most people aren't going to tweet "Oh, life hurts... ohh the pain" They will tweet that one thing that happened during their day that made them smile. They are definitely not going to take a selfie frowning, it makes no effing sense. Just because they post some happy messages, it doesn't mean they're problem-free.

I can't believe I have to explain this so many times, guys.

Please see my post about internet "rules" on the recent thread about dating. :p

My question is more that if real life interactions aren't slanted toward the positive then why are social media interactions slanted that way? Who decided it would be like that?
 

S_Spartan

Well-known member
1. I don't have twitter, but on FB nobody on my friend-list acts like they're happy all the time. They post complaints, or silly pictures, or pictures of their animals/kids/friends/spouse. They post stuff related to their political or religious interests. Whom you choose to friend makes a big difference.

2. I'm not likely to post personal problems for the public to see, even the public I chose. As a rule, complaining to the world at large does more harm than good.

I only followed random strangers. I know none of these people.

But in real life people seem to complain quite freely in my experience.
 

NathanielWingatePeaslee

Iä! Iä! Cthulhu fhtagn!
Staff member
I'm not much concerned with the posting of random strangers.

On a 1:1 basis I might complain to my friends; I'm just not one to broadcast my complaints. Why would anyone?
 

Kiwong

Well-known member
When you read between the lines, sometimes the pain becomes more obvious. When people are open about their pain on social media, or start behaving strangely unlike they have done before, it is time that if they have any real friends, they will reach out and help them.
 

Kiwong

Well-known member
I'm not much concerned with the posting of random strangers.

On a 1:1 basis I might complain to my friends; I'm just not one to broadcast my complaints. Why would anyone?

If someone is having a crisis. A last cry for help before they do something silly like suicide. Some people get to the point that the pain becomes so bad, that they will scream for help, so that anyone will listen. Often social media is a place this will happen.
 
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