America has apparently begun to re-learn the boundaries of social norms that dictate what is and isn’t appropriate for people to share with the world. After several years in which people assumed grilled-cheese posts, intimate expressions of love for significant others, and pictures of themselves standing in line at CVS were worthy of being displayed to anyone and everyone, that attitude is dropping precipitously.
The Information reports Facebook is seriously worried about a sharp decline in the amount of “original” sharing (i.e. posts that everyone can see) on your walls—a decline of more than a fifth of total posts, and a number that continues to fall. People are still posting, but they’re being far more judicious about the personal information they share and that Facebook can then monetize, with a number of high-profile exceptions.
Facebook is working behind the scenes to try and reverse this trend, and remind its users they should really be following the lead of celebrities like Shakira, Vin Diesel, Kim Kardashian West, and numerous others who long ago realized the notion of a “private life” was an outdated concept. But there’s only so many people who can be fired after ill-considered Facebook posts before the collective consciousness starts to develop a higher level of caution, no matter how many times Will Smith wants you to know it snowed again, preferably with awkwardly…placed ellipses.
I guess I won’t…be driving today!
Posted by Will Smith on Monday, December 28, 2015