Like. Yeah.
People advertising so much more of their daily lives. Necessary? Scientists of various ilks have theorized til faces go azure as to why this level of sharing has become so important but it is ultimately very simple - awareness of the rest of the planet and a desire to be a part of it. One would Like to think it is out of a desire just to participate but most want to be heard, and now to feel not just present but important, even celebrity. It will be great when cooperation overtakes competition.
The torpid perusing of other peoples' publicized lives and clicking a button to show some level of engagement, albeit painfully minimal. Like. No longer just a word to be spoken inter-personally but a button to be pressed. It is because of this now seeming absurdity...what...billions of times a day...?...that the word Like has lost virtually all of its purpose...diluted almost to the point of non-existence if you will. That is possibly too tough a statement but I will leave it for now.
Not that Like hasn't always been a feeble word. A word used when you wanted to convey interest in something but lacking the commitment of something stronger. A shade above neutral awareness of a subject. Now it has been overused to the point of total saturation...enough. You might as well be saying 'meh'. Its use today would almost feel dismissive if the intent weren't intended to show approval. Shoot me a Like. Give me a Like. Like my shit. And follow me.
For quite some time now it isn't just the dopamine response people are after, either. As soon as profit motives infected this realm things went batshit. 'Like' was no longer something to show said genuine interest in but a commodity to be sought and, hopefully, given freely. Whether the person extending the Like truly felt anything it matters not.
This overuse across motivations has effectively erased any value this word ever enjoyed.
©2019 Michael Pichahchy
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