I don’t know if it’s the lack of alcohol in my existence recently or just the abundance of existing rather than living but I seem to be doing a lot of getting annoyed at social network usage.
One of the many things is the kisses and lols. I don’t hate the xs as a part of interaction with people I love, friend and – when drunk – family. I’m not the foremost user of the x but I can x; I’m not afraid of using the x; if an x comes my way I’ll forehand an x back at you.
This article in The Observer today was quite good about it. I’m not saying Eve Wiseman and I are on the same page, just that the page she on is decidedly interesting and fun to read (as opposed to the page I am on – this page). She is spot on about the ubiquity of the x meaning that its real power is not using it. And when I say meaning, it can only carry meaning to people mental enough to attach meaning to something this trivial – so everyone, then. Likewise her point that people add ‘xx’ to the end of a statement to offer the same lack of sentiment as preceding s statement with ‘with all due respect…”
But it’s not xs at the end of of emails and SMS messages from friends that annoyed me. And I don’t really get them on work emails. The business of examinations doesn’t really lend itself to affectionate sign-offs. Or openings. Or main content. Though, I do get :) s on emails from people who don’t know me – people who do know me really do know better.
No, it’s the fact that they have crept into Facebook statuses. There’s one lad in particular, who I went to secondary school with, who can’t do a Facebook status without at least one x. There is also generally a lol as well. These aren’t xs on the end of a status saying what great friends he has (still unacceptable; but understandable) or xs on a status naming someone. It’s stuff like “Just ordered a pizza xxx lol” or that timeless classic, simply “lol xx” which really does say it all.
Here’s a video I filmed at the Two Door Cinema Club concert (it’s already got 71 views, phenomenon! I am the new king of YT):
