Confessions of a Facebook 'Like' junkie

People are not very generous with their 'Likes', as if it hurts them to click that little button on the side!

Hi, I am Ali- this is where you say “Hi Ali”- and I am a ‘Like-junkie.’

What is a 'Like-junkie' you ask?

It’s quite obvious is it not?

A 'Like-junkie' is very much like a junkie, except they are not addicted to drugs, but rather to ‘Likes’ on Facebook.

Now at this point you may either roll your eyes and laugh or you may go,

“Oh no, not another lame piece on The Express Tribune…”

You can do both of those things, but let me tell you this much, this is neither something to laugh at, nor is it something to ignore, for you might not have noticed this just yet, but you may very well be a 'Like-junkie' yourself.

The moment of realisation

I never thought I’d be writing an entire blog on a self-created disorder, but recently I realised how much I had become addicted to Facebook ‘Likes.’

The realisation may come in slow, but it will definitely dawn on you soon enough, and just a warning to begin with, it can be pretty intense, just go with the flow, it's not as bad as it seems.

A few weeks ago I posted a picture of myself on Facebook, which a friend of mine had edited, to make it ‘Like-able’.



At first, it attracted a few ‘Likes’ and a comment here and there. But, as the number of ‘Likes’ started rising I started wanting more– to the point that when they reached around 30, I set a target of 50 'Likes' for myself. When it crossed 50, I decided that I must get 100!

I used various techniques– tagging myself, sharing it on people’s walls and towards the end, even requesting people individually to 'Like' it and to get other people to do the same. And I did it– I finally reached my target of 100 ‘Likes’ on one picture.

It’s a domino effect I tell you. And throughout this time, the same friend who had initially edited the picture for me started saying things like,

Dude, you need to go to rehab.

It was funny and to my shock, true.

This whole ordeal made me think and this happens rarely but when it does, it’s usually good enough to be put down on paper. So, I went back to all the statuses and pictures I had ever posted on Facebook and I realised that the overwhelming reason behind every share had been the desire to have it ‘Liked’ by people. Now this is very much in line with my personality off Facebook as well, as I have been labelled by many as ‘needy’ or an ‘attention seeker’, but what this made me realise was that every person on Facebook must have the same traits as me – everyone who posts anything anyway.

Yes, we can tell ourselves that we are doing it to dissipate ‘important information’ or to make someone’s miserable day slightly lighter by sharing a joke or two, but at least I wouldn’t be lying to myself if I said I refresh my page instantly after every share just to see that little red notification sign on the top left corner of the Facebook page. The little red light that shines brightly on the blue background, proudly beaming at me informing me that XYZ has 'Liked' my post.

Now as a junkie, I probably do it more than other people, courtesy of  the Facebook mobile app; I don’t have to go anywhere without my Facebook ever again, oh the joy!

Now, what I ask of you is to take a moment, and ask yourself, how often do you post things on Facebook just to get ‘Likes’? In fact, how often do you refresh your page after posting something?

I know for sure that some of you would fall in the ‘Like-junkie’ category. Denying it won’t mean you’re not!

The upside of being a ‘Like-junkie’

Fortunately, being a ‘Like-junkie’ is not as harmful as being addicted to psychotropic drugs. In fact, it can procure a positive impact on people.

When you want ‘Likes’ on your posts, you will have to make sure you post something ‘Like-able’. To post something ‘Like-able’, you will have to put that gray matter inside your skull to use, and this my fellow humans, a lot of us rarely use. You have to be creative, innovative and put up something you know people will appreciate. In my efforts, I have noticed that people are not very generous with their 'Likes' (as if it hurts them to click that little button down there).

However, innovation and creativity can go all the way up to sharing a fake cancer story to the use of religious blackmail, just to make posts go viral and ‘Like-able’. So being a ‘Like-junkie’ is not so bad after all I guess.

It’s a little sad, yes, but it’s not so bad. Come on now, I would have ‘Liked’ this if there was a 'Like' button next to it.

Another advantage is that a lot of businesses are spanning online and more specifically on to Facebook. So, if you are already equipped with the creativity to be able to get more 'Likes' and shares, it’ll just make your life a little easier and push your business up on the popularity bar.

So in essence, I may have just proposed a brand new marketing technique section in our business administration courses. For details, contact me on my Facebook page- the additional friends may help with additional ‘Likes’.

How to tell if you are a ‘Like-junkie’

Frankly, I have no idea. But, if you must know, then ask yourselves a couple of questions to determine the intensity of your state, here are some suggestions,

1- How often do you post a new status and/or pictures on Facebook?

2- Do you yearn to see the red notification sign?

3- How often do you refresh your Facebook page after sharing a post, in the span of the first ten minutes of sharing the post?

4- What does a ‘Like’ on Facebook mean to you?

DISCLAMER: This is supposed to be a light-hearted satirical piece - in case you didn’t get it - and is not meant to trivialise any disorders that cause actual harm to people.

Read more by Ali here, or follow him on Twitter @alisyedsays