Will the facebook dislike button stir the pot and contribute to online bullying? I’m sure the sentiment behind designing the dislike button is with the best intentions. Users want to show support to friends or family members if a pet dies, or there is a painful anniversary a facebook friend is using social media to speak about. Let’s face it, it has always felt weird to hit the “like” button when your sister’s cat dies. Still, you want to show support or simply acknowledge that you saw their post without posting the one hundredth “my sincerest condolences” posts on their timeline.
Will the Facebook Dislike Button Stir the Pot
In case you missed it, Business Insider reported yesterday that Mark Zuckerberg has announced that facebook is working on a facebook disklike button.
After years of seeing people clamor openly for a dislike button, I’m starting to see and hear some backlash from people suddenly concerned the facebook dislike button might be misused. Instead of using the “thumbs down” for bad news as it’s intended, the new button might be used to challenge those people that post different political or social views than you’re comfortable with and start a flame war. What about teens and facebook? It might not be the best thing for a teen’s confidence if a “frienemy” starts disliking their pics. Thank goodness I didn’t have facebook when I was 17. I think I’d be pretty upset if I posted a selfie profile pic that got a smattering of dislikes!
My own use of the dislike button isn’t likely to change my facebook experience outside of the intentions I spoke of earlier. I’m mostly a facebook lurker. I rarely post, rarely comment, but do crank that like button on positive posts and pictures that others share. If I don’t have anything nice to say, I ignore it. If my timeline is flooded with opposite political views or something I don’t care to see, I can (and have) turn off a feed. What’s that saying? “If you don’t have anything nice to say…..” In my opinion, there’s no use throwing rocks at a bees nest with the dislike button – especially where friends and family are concerned.
When the facebook dislike button is launched, the original poster of everything from prom pics to political statements, and everything in between, can now be “challenged” by friends and so-called “friends.” The facebook dislike button is going to be interesting.
