What started as a mere social media platform that consumed the once popular MySpace, Facebook has evolved into an emotional train wreck. At least, for most of us. From pokes, to messenger becoming the new instant messenger, to reading into every single “like” as well as the statuses you wish you could just simply erase from five years ago, Facebook is now so integrated into our lives that it commands great attention; and with great attention, comes great power. That is, the power to influence us emotionally as we become completely obsessed with likes and comments and shares, using these false material “clicks” as a sign of our own purpose, and our own worth.
As we well know, Facebook is now used for more than its original purpose as a relationship building tool from people to people; it is now also for relationships between people and businesses. With advertisements, trending news and paid-for links specifically tailored to your interests, the platform is quite impressively growing to unimaginable reaches.
The newest growth, however, is the speculated adoption of the dislike button. Since its creation, many have fought for a button to oppose the like, and for those individuals it seems the day has come; or at least soon will. Last week, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that they have been working on the cultivation of something similar to a dislike button, one that would be in testing very soon. Exciting? To some, yes. But to others, this is quite scary. Will Facebook become a derogatory forum of sorts, with the ability of its users to essentially down vote a post or image they show distain for?
Zuckerberg seems to have thought this pitfall out, in the announcement he contests, “What they really want is an ability to express empathy. If you’re expressing something sad… it may not feel comfortable to ‘like’ that post, but your friends and people want to be able to express that they understand.” While turning Facebook into a “dislike vs. like” contest isn’t the intent, it might not be the reality of the situation. The main issue at hand is that having buttons of a polar opposite connotation means nothing; the way the user interprets it, is what holds meaning. So, what does a “like” mean? Maybe you like a picture. Is it just because your friend posted it, or do you really like the image? Do you feel happy when you see it, or are you just liking it because you feel you are obligated to like it? The same goes for a dislike. Would you dislike something because you don’t like the person? Or because you feel bad? Some would argue that these buttons don’t do anything more than skew the receiver’s perception of their own self worth.
While the debate will continue as to whether we need a dislike button or something of the sort, what may be more necessary are quite a few other buttons that mean a lot more. For starters, a TMI button is 100% needed. You know, when those couples that post 40,000 staged pics like their dog took of them, or they awkwardly asked their third wheel to take? No. Perhaps the most needed is an IDC button, because half the time no one really cares what the majority of their friends are posting about. Maybe Zuckerberg and the Facebook team should listen to all of our relevant concerns about the new Dislike button, take a step back, and consider implementing a button that is much more needed by all with far less negative impacts.
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