I recently looked at my Facebook Author Page and realized that my (low) three digit approval rating had actually dropped. Which:
a. seriously hurt my feelings and;
b. got me wondering about the mechanics of ether-liking
Do people give the nod to be polite and then check their watches until enough time has passed before quietly unliking? (The social media equivalent of hanging on to a questionable birthday gift just long enough to smooth the jagged edges of guilt before dropping it off at Goodwill?)
Or is it a way to protect oneself from being stretched too thin? (“I’m sorry, I already liked 20 Pages and somebody had to go before I could take on another!”)
Or maybe they’re just very tidy individuals, regularly purging ethereal connections with the determination of Real Simple devotees. (Clean out the car, the refrigerator, marginal Facebook affinities…)
Leading me to one final question:
Who’s the sadist who came up with the idea of quantifying and publicizing popularity?
ps And don’t get me started on fickle Twitter followers.