You Know I Spoil You

Spoiler alerts.  They're everywhere nowadays.  With the instinct to now rush to social media and post your feelings about what you just saw in the movie theatres or on your favorite television show, it has become part of our culture.  It doesn't need to stop though.  This is a way for people to reach out and interact. They just need to be careful how they do it.  However, it's not all on the person posting the spoiler, it's also on you the reader.

My wife and I watch the show Game of Thrones.  Several seasons ago, they killed off a major character that a ton of people were upset about.  I was working the night that the episode aired.  Not thinking much was going to happen, I checked social media while on one of my breaks and there it was.  THE SPOILER. *insert dramatic music for effect*.  My first instinct was to be upset.  How can people be posting about this major event?!  Then the more I thought about it, the less I cared because it was going to happen regardless as to whether or not I knew about it. Plus, I could brace myself for the event.  It's funny because shortly after I had read the spoiler, my wife texted me saying 'hey, stay off social media because of what happens in Game of Thrones.'  I texted back 'too late'.  

That was my first and only major run in with spoilers and social media.  And I don't have a problem with people posting about it.  What I do have a problem with is other people getting mad about people posting spoilers.  You know what, people want to reach out and interact about a show or a movie they watch and love.  It's not on them to be emotional and post something.  If you don't want to read a spoiler, don't go online.  The same thing happens with The Walking Dead.  I try my best to avoid reading a ton of online stuff until I see Walking Dead episodes because anything can and will happen on that show.  I easily give television show spoilers a pass because emotional stuff happens and people want to express that.  Spoiling movies, on the other hand, is a different situation.  

Star Wars: the Force Awakens came out last Thursday.  The most anticipated movie, for me, in my life.  After the prequels came out and were mostly disappointing, I was looking forward to this movie.  I was going to wait a month or so to watch it because, as anxious as I was to see it, because I didn't want to fight the crowds and sit in a full theatre.  I know some people think that's a great way to see the movie, but that's just not me.  However, I started to hear rumblings of major spoilers.  I didn't want the resurgence of a movie franchise that I have loved since my childhood to be ruined by some cock twat that thought it'd be fun to post a spoiler or two online. And the main difference between spoiling a television show and a movie is that you don't hop on your phone in the middle of a movie to write your gut reaction, spoilers or not.  Your phone is put away, you get engrossed for two hours, and enjoy yourself.  If you go out to your car and post a major spoiler, that's you being a dick.  The emotions might be there, but it has time to simmer.  

I will never purposefully be someone that spoils a show or movie.  If someone asks me about something, I will ask them if they are sure they want to know.  That's how good of a person I am.  But if I say something about Verbal being Keyser Soze and you get mad at me, that's on you.  Enough time has passed.  

Also, Bruce Willis is dead in the Sixth Sense.

It's Not You, It's Your App

The nice thing about having a smart phone is instant access to a multitude of things.  Whether you want to stay on top of breaking news, track a snow storm making it's way to your city, or play games the technology is there.  I have several apps that I use on a daily basis.  I have one to check the road conditions for my work commute (very helpful in the winter time).  I have an NHL and MLB app to keep up on the latest games and standings.  Podcasts and music apps are used more than most.  I have several games that eat away at my phone battery.  Plenty of things to keep me occupied so I don't have to make eye contact or small conversations with people.  You know, like phones are suppose to do.  I also have Twitter and Facebook on my phone.  One of them is close to going by the wayside.

I have stated several times over that Facebook just isn't something that I need to use on a daily basis.  Facebook is just kinda around for me.  It's just there to see what some friends and family are up to.  The mobile app is problematic because it has a tendency to just regurgitate statuses that were posted half a day ago.  It doesn't always show the most recent posts.  On the other hand, Twitter is constantly updated with new stories because they know what they are doing.  Unless something gets retweeted, you won't see a tweet again unless you go back on someone's timeline and purposely look for it.  I suppose that has a downside in that you will miss some things from time to time.  That is where Twitter has the upper hand over Facebook.  Plus, there are fewer '...and you won't believe what happened next!' links.  Clickbait is a terrible thing people.  

It has gotten to the point where I look at the Facebook icon on my phone and think 'do I really need this on here?'  In fact, I have moved it to a folder that I do not use all that often in an attempt to use it less.  I have seen people go on social media breaks before and they come back with a rejuvenated approach.  Lots of 'I took a few months off from Facebook and it was great!'  I see those posts and wonder, 'why did you come back then?'  And I understand why people come back.  It's to stay connected with others.  That is the point of it all isn't it?  Could you go a week without social media?  How about a month?  A year?  Does not having social media make your life better?  Probably not.  But think of what you could be doing with all the time you spend on those sites. 

Is social media a new addiction?  Do we need to set up detox centers for social media users?  Let's be honest with ourselves here and admit that having instant access to social media sites can be a terrible thing.  It distracts from being actually social with people that are around you.  Having the willpower to set your phone or tablet down is a step in the right direction.  Don't get me wrong, having Facebook and Twitter and whatever other social media you have is great, but being connected to it all the time isn't. 

I feel like I am just steps away from flat out deleting the app from my phone, and just having it on the computer at home.  The more I think about it, the more I like the idea.  With the lack of fresh stories coming up on the mobile app, I don't feel like I miss much.  Plus, just having it on one device and logging on less frequently, it would make me more excited to use it.  Well, I don't know if 'excited' is the right word.  More interested maybe? 

One last thing.  And this is kind of what is driving me towards removing Facebook from my phone all together.  If I get one more goddamn request to play a stupid version of Candy Crush or Farmville, I'm likely to just snap!  Okay, not really.  But those notifications are super annoying.  

My Aversion, and Eventual Signing Up, of Pinterest

Social media sites are a dime a dozen it seems like.  Whether it is Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Myspace (remember that?), you can take your pick of how you want to spend your time on the internet.  I have mainly used Facebook and Twitter just because that is what I am comfortable with.  I looked into Tumblr, but it just wasn't for me.  I don't have a reason, it just didn't look like something that I was going to like using.  Another very popular site is Pinterest.  You all know what it is, I don't need to explain it. 

After searching for something similar to Pinterest but 'for men', I have come up empty handed.  Don't get me wrong, there are a few sites that are geared as 'Pinterest, but for men'.  I have looked into them.  They are not great.  Lots of pictures of guns, fully naked or half naked women, lots of sexist jokes and pictures, grilling tips, sports, and lots of things revolving around bacon.  If you're into that, cool, be my guest.  There are some fun and useful things on those sites, but so few and far between that it isn't really worth the time nor the energy.  Get a bunch of guys together to make up a website's content, and what would you expect?  Nothing but what I described earlier in the paragraph. 

So, I looked into Pinterest.  It wasn't like I was avoiding it because 'Pinterest is stupid' or 'Pinterest?  You mean where all the women go to put pictures up? '  I just kind of gave up on using a social media site like it.  And while I was sitting around today on my day off, I thought about it.  I thought about it because I didn't have anything better to do.  So I checked it out.  And I made an account.  Just to have one.  I have found a few interesting things so far.  I don't know how much I will use it, but it's there because it is more useful than the 'Pinterest for men' sites. 

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