[Cranky Codger]

The Baffling World of Social Media Hashtags​

In the grand tapestry of human evolution, there have been a few missteps. The mullet, for instance. Reality television, another. But ladies and gents, I submit to you a contemporary contender for the "What Were We Thinking?" hall of fame: the hashtag.

There was a time when the humble hash, or pound sign, was a simple button on your phone, minding its own business, occasionally pressed during an automated call to confirm your identity. Now, it's the prelude to a cryptic, often nonsensical parade of words that trail behind it like tin cans tied to the back of a wedding car. Except nobody's celebrating.

Take a stroll down any social media avenue and you'll see them. #Love. #InstaGood. #Blessed. #Spoon. One of these things is not like the others, you think? That's precisely my point. They're as arbitrary as the next. They tell us to 'like' and 'share' for no reason other than the compulsive need for validation from strangers.

It's all become quite the circus. We've got influencers (a term as nebulous as a fart in a jacuzzi) telling us that to be anyone, you've got to master the art of hashtagging. It's not just about what you say; it's about the breadcrumb trail of #tags you leave behind.

Caught in the Hashtag Haze: The Bewildering World of Social Media

I tried to engage with this tomfoolery. Posted a picture of my morning coffee. #Caffeine. #WakeUp. #WhyIsThisCold. And do you know what I got? A like from a chap who sells herbal Viagra. The connection? I'm still scratching my bald patch in bemusement.

The youngsters tell me it's all about "trending" and "going viral." If I wanted something viral, I'd lick a petri dish at the local lab, not broadcast my lunch to the world in hopes of becoming an internet sensation.

And when did we decide it was acceptable to replace a well-constructed argument or heartfelt message with a string of pound-signed gibberish? Political discourse? #Outraged. Philosophical debate? #Deep. Complex human emotion? #SadPanda.

It's as if we've distilled the vast complexity of human thought into a series of clickable catchphrases. I've seen some posts that are more hashtag than text! If Shakespeare were alive, would he write #ToBeOrNotToBe? Would Churchill declare #WeShallNeverSurrender?

Forgive me, dear readers, but I long for the days when a pound sign was just a precursor to numbers on a cheque, and birds were the ones doing all the tweeting. I'd like to think there's still hope for meaningful communication, one not obscured by a smokescreen of #ThisAndThats.

So, before I #WrapThisUp, I'll leave you with this. The next time you're about to share your life behind a barricade of hashtags, ask yourself: is it truly necessary, or is it just another way we're letting the richness of language slip through our #FingerTips?

Until next time, may your thoughts be clear, your communication straightforward, and your hashtags sparing. Stay cranky, my friends.

We were only able to create this content because of the financial support of SDC Rewards members. If you’d like to see more of this (and a lot fewer ads!), please consider supporting us and signing up for SDC Rewards today—it starts at just 14 cents per day.

 

[Veggiepatch]

Nailed it again @Cranky Codger!

Damn....I used the "At sign". I sure made a "hash" out of that....

 

[Tipsy]

The Baffling World of Social Media Hashtags​

In the grand tapestry of human evolution, there have been a few missteps. The mullet, for instance. Reality television, another. But ladies and gents, I submit to you a contemporary contender for the "What Were We Thinking?" hall of fame: the hashtag.

There was a time when the humble hash, or pound sign, was a simple button on your phone, minding its own business, occasionally pressed during an automated call to confirm your identity. Now, it's the prelude to a cryptic, often nonsensical parade of words that trail behind it like tin cans tied to the back of a wedding car. Except nobody's celebrating.

Take a stroll down any social media avenue and you'll see them. #Love. #InstaGood. #Blessed. #Spoon. One of these things is not like the others, you think? That's precisely my point. They're as arbitrary as the next. They tell us to 'like' and 'share' for no reason other than the compulsive need for validation from strangers.

It's all become quite the circus. We've got influencers (a term as nebulous as a fart in a jacuzzi) telling us that to be anyone, you've got to master the art of hashtagging. It's not just about what you say; it's about the breadcrumb trail of #tags you leave behind.

View attachment 34254

Caught in the Hashtag Haze: The Bewildering World of Social Media

I tried to engage with this tomfoolery. Posted a picture of my morning coffee. #Caffeine. #WakeUp. #WhyIsThisCold. And do you know what I got? A like from a chap who sells herbal Viagra. The connection? I'm still scratching my bald patch in bemusement.

The youngsters tell me it's all about "trending" and "going viral." If I wanted something viral, I'd lick a petri dish at the local lab, not broadcast my lunch to the world in hopes of becoming an internet sensation.

And when did we decide it was acceptable to replace a well-constructed argument or heartfelt message with a string of pound-signed gibberish? Political discourse? #Outraged. Philosophical debate? #Deep. Complex human emotion? #SadPanda.

It's as if we've distilled the vast complexity of human thought into a series of clickable catchphrases. I've seen some posts that are more hashtag than text! If Shakespeare were alive, would he write #ToBeOrNotToBe? Would Churchill declare #WeShallNeverSurrender?

Forgive me, dear readers, but I long for the days when a pound sign was just a precursor to numbers on a cheque, and birds were the ones doing all the tweeting. I'd like to think there's still hope for meaningful communication, one not obscured by a smokescreen of #ThisAndThats.

So, before I #WrapThisUp, I'll leave you with this. The next time you're about to share your life behind a barricade of hashtags, ask yourself: is it truly necessary, or is it just another way we're letting the richness of language slip through our #FingerTips?

Until next time, may your thoughts be clear, your communication straightforward, and your hashtags sparing. Stay cranky, my friends.

We were only able to create this content because of the financial support of SDC Rewards members. If you’d like to see more of this (and a lot fewer ads!), please consider supporting us and signing up for SDC Rewards today—it starts at just 14 cents per day.

I am with you on all of that and I just ignore all the hash tagging garbage

 

[Subeaut]

One problem here...the # is simply a hashtag, which started life as a bit of computer text.
It is not a pound sign... which is not available any longer in the form that we Seniors knew it as it has been tweaked to fit the modern pound in the U.K.
But that said, I agree entirely that it is mostly used to tow a string of rubbish

 

[Veggiepatch]

 

[mOiOz]

The Baffling World of Social Media Hashtags​

In the grand tapestry of human evolution, there have been a few missteps. The mullet, for instance. Reality television, another. But ladies and gents, I submit to you a contemporary contender for the "What Were We Thinking?" hall of fame: the hashtag.

There was a time when the humble hash, or pound sign, was a simple button on your phone, minding its own business, occasionally pressed during an automated call to confirm your identity. Now, it's the prelude to a cryptic, often nonsensical parade of words that trail behind it like tin cans tied to the back of a wedding car. Except nobody's celebrating.

Take a stroll down any social media avenue and you'll see them. #Love. #InstaGood. #Blessed. #Spoon. One of these things is not like the others, you think? That's precisely my point. They're as arbitrary as the next. They tell us to 'like' and 'share' for no reason other than the compulsive need for validation from strangers.

It's all become quite the circus. We've got influencers (a term as nebulous as a fart in a jacuzzi) telling us that to be anyone, you've got to master the art of hashtagging. It's not just about what you say; it's about the breadcrumb trail of #tags you leave behind.

View attachment 34254

Caught in the Hashtag Haze: The Bewildering World of Social Media

I tried to engage with this tomfoolery. Posted a picture of my morning coffee. #Caffeine. #WakeUp. #WhyIsThisCold. And do you know what I got? A like from a chap who sells herbal Viagra. The connection? I'm still scratching my bald patch in bemusement.

The youngsters tell me it's all about "trending" and "going viral." If I wanted something viral, I'd lick a petri dish at the local lab, not broadcast my lunch to the world in hopes of becoming an internet sensation.

And when did we decide it was acceptable to replace a well-constructed argument or heartfelt message with a string of pound-signed gibberish? Political discourse? #Outraged. Philosophical debate? #Deep. Complex human emotion? #SadPanda.

It's as if we've distilled the vast complexity of human thought into a series of clickable catchphrases. I've seen some posts that are more hashtag than text! If Shakespeare were alive, would he write #ToBeOrNotToBe? Would Churchill declare #WeShallNeverSurrender?

Forgive me, dear readers, but I long for the days when a pound sign was just a precursor to numbers on a cheque, and birds were the ones doing all the tweeting. I'd like to think there's still hope for meaningful communication, one not obscured by a smokescreen of #ThisAndThats.

So, before I #WrapThisUp, I'll leave you with this. The next time you're about to share your life behind a barricade of hashtags, ask yourself: is it truly necessary, or is it just another way we're letting the richness of language slip through our #FingerTips?

Until next time, may your thoughts be clear, your communication straightforward, and your hashtags sparing. Stay cranky, my friends.

We were only able to create this content because of the financial support of SDC Rewards members. If you’d like to see more of this (and a lot fewer ads!), please consider supporting us and signing up for SDC Rewards today—it starts at just 14 cents per day.

OMG CrankyCodger - you crack me up! Even the Yanks are using it in a nonsensible fashion - hashtag was always followed by a number... now it's followed by idiots!
Loved the bit on #WakeUp. #WhyIsThisCold - pretty sure the Herbal Viagra seller interpreted incorrectly...

 

[Staffordshire Whippet]

Have you considered running for #Sainthood , Cranky, old chap?
Next time I'm in Rome, I'll have a word with an old mate....

 

[magpie1]

Have you considered running for #Sainthood , Cranky, old chap?
Next time I'm in Rome, I'll have a word with an old mate....

or at the very #least a #Knighthood, from #King Charles, #head of the #UK #Monarchy and the #Commonwealth of #Nations, of which #we remain a #member of #here in #Australia.

 

[Tygie]

It baffles me why social media was invented at all.

 

[havingadoggyday]

The Baffling World of Social Media Hashtags​

In the grand tapestry of human evolution, there have been a few missteps. The mullet, for instance. Reality television, another. But ladies and gents, I submit to you a contemporary contender for the "What Were We Thinking?" hall of fame: the hashtag.

There was a time when the humble hash, or pound sign, was a simple button on your phone, minding its own business, occasionally pressed during an automated call to confirm your identity. Now, it's the prelude to a cryptic, often nonsensical parade of words that trail behind it like tin cans tied to the back of a wedding car. Except nobody's celebrating.

Take a stroll down any social media avenue and you'll see them. #Love. #InstaGood. #Blessed. #Spoon. One of these things is not like the others, you think? That's precisely my point. They're as arbitrary as the next. They tell us to 'like' and 'share' for no reason other than the compulsive need for validation from strangers.

It's all become quite the circus. We've got influencers (a term as nebulous as a fart in a jacuzzi) telling us that to be anyone, you've got to master the art of hashtagging. It's not just about what you say; it's about the breadcrumb trail of #tags you leave behind.

View attachment 34254

Caught in the Hashtag Haze: The Bewildering World of Social Media

I tried to engage with this tomfoolery. Posted a picture of my morning coffee. #Caffeine. #WakeUp. #WhyIsThisCold. And do you know what I got? A like from a chap who sells herbal Viagra. The connection? I'm still scratching my bald patch in bemusement.

The youngsters tell me it's all about "trending" and "going viral." If I wanted something viral, I'd lick a petri dish at the local lab, not broadcast my lunch to the world in hopes of becoming an internet sensation.

And when did we decide it was acceptable to replace a well-constructed argument or heartfelt message with a string of pound-signed gibberish? Political discourse? #Outraged. Philosophical debate? #Deep. Complex human emotion? #SadPanda.

It's as if we've distilled the vast complexity of human thought into a series of clickable catchphrases. I've seen some posts that are more hashtag than text! If Shakespeare were alive, would he write #ToBeOrNotToBe? Would Churchill declare #WeShallNeverSurrender?

Forgive me, dear readers, but I long for the days when a pound sign was just a precursor to numbers on a cheque, and birds were the ones doing all the tweeting. I'd like to think there's still hope for meaningful communication, one not obscured by a smokescreen of #ThisAndThats.

So, before I #WrapThisUp, I'll leave you with this. The next time you're about to share your life behind a barricade of hashtags, ask yourself: is it truly necessary, or is it just another way we're letting the richness of language slip through our #FingerTips?

Until next time, may your thoughts be clear, your communication straightforward, and your hashtags sparing. Stay cranky, my friends.

We were only able to create this content because of the financial support of SDC rewards [email protected] members. If you’d like to see more of this (and a lot fewer ads!), please consider supporting us and signing up for SDC Rewards today—it starts at just 14 cents per day.

Love you cranky godger.You speak for many of us.My sons day I am cranky all the time
I am

 

[havingadoggyday]

Love you cranky godger.You speak for many of us.My sons day I am cranky all the time
I am

62 and all this tech is doing in with my head.Did you notice i mucked up this reply too.?????

 

[Mindygirl12022]

The Baffling World of Social Media Hashtags​

In the grand tapestry of human evolution, there have been a few missteps. The mullet, for instance. Reality television, another. But ladies and gents, I submit to you a contemporary contender for the "What Were We Thinking?" hall of fame: the hashtag.

There was a time when the humble hash, or pound sign, was a simple button on your phone, minding its own business, occasionally pressed during an automated call to confirm your identity. Now, it's the prelude to a cryptic, often nonsensical parade of words that trail behind it like tin cans tied to the back of a wedding car. Except nobody's celebrating.

Take a stroll down any social media avenue and you'll see them. #Love. #InstaGood. #Blessed. #Spoon. One of these things is not like the others, you think? That's precisely my point. They're as arbitrary as the next. They tell us to 'like' and 'share' for no reason other than the compulsive need for validation from strangers.

It's all become quite the circus. We've got influencers (a term as nebulous as a fart in a jacuzzi) telling us that to be anyone, you've got to master the art of hashtagging. It's not just about what you say; it's about the breadcrumb trail of #tags you leave behind.

View attachment 34254

Caught in the Hashtag Haze: The Bewildering World of Social Media

I tried to engage with this tomfoolery. Posted a picture of my morning coffee. #Caffeine. #WakeUp. #WhyIsThisCold. And do you know what I got? A like from a chap who sells herbal Viagra. The connection? I'm still scratching my bald patch in bemusement.

The youngsters tell me it's all about "trending" and "going viral." If I wanted something viral, I'd lick a petri dish at the local lab, not broadcast my lunch to the world in hopes of becoming an internet sensation.

And when did we decide it was acceptable to replace a well-constructed argument or heartfelt message with a string of pound-signed gibberish? Political discourse? #Outraged. Philosophical debate? #Deep. Complex human emotion? #SadPanda.

It's as if we've distilled the vast complexity of human thought into a series of clickable catchphrases. I've seen some posts that are more hashtag than text! If Shakespeare were alive, would he write #ToBeOrNotToBe? Would Churchill declare #WeShallNeverSurrender?

Forgive me, dear readers, but I long for the days when a pound sign was just a precursor to numbers on a cheque, and birds were the ones doing all the tweeting. I'd like to think there's still hope for meaningful communication, one not obscured by a smokescreen of #ThisAndThats.

So, before I #WrapThisUp, I'll leave you with this. The next time you're about to share your life behind a barricade of hashtags, ask yourself: is it truly necessary, or is it just another way we're letting the richness of language slip through our #FingerTips?

Until next time, may your thoughts be clear, your communication straightforward, and your hashtags sparing. Stay cranky, my friends.

We were only able to create this content because of the financial support of SDC Rewards members. If you’d like to see more of this (and a lot fewer ads!), please consider supporting us and signing up for SDC Rewards today—it starts at just 14 cents per day.

Do you think the 'hashtag' sign is like a 'Pound' sign? Maybe I'm looking at it the wrong way?

 

[mOiOz]

Do you think the 'hashtag' sign is like a 'Pound' sign? Maybe I'm looking at it the wrong way?

Yes, it is called that too... and a number sign in America.