If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands…

Or tweet it. Or instagram. Or put it on Facebook.

This is short defence of people having a good time and sharing it. It makes me feel sad that I feel I need to write a short defence of people having a good time and sharing but I do.

I follow someone on twitter who is a journalist for a local newspaper in Scotland. I found out earlier this week he was writing a column slagging off people who had been at T in the Park last week and were posting about it on social media. This is not a pop at him (honest, Paul) but it made me aware of how often I see people say things like this. Just before I sat down to write this I saw a tweet saying people at [insert random event here] couldn’t be having a very good time if they were posting about it AND I JUST DON’T FUCKING GET IT.

I have several points.

1. Do you know how long it takes write a post or take a picture? Seconds. Literally seconds. Even if you’re a fat fingered bozo who taps them out one letter at a time. So even if someone posts 20 pics at an event they’ve probably spent 10 minutes max on their phone. AND YOU’RE NOT THE PHONE POLICE.
2. This is the world now. People document their lives. They share what they’re doing. If you don’t want to do it then, by all means, don’t, but don’t moan about it. You sound like my mother going “But how do you know these people in your phone? Who are they?”. Trust me, you don’t want to sound like my mother.
3. Sefies: I saw folk moan at Francesco Totti for taking a selfie after scoring the equalizer in the Rome derby. GO FUCK YOURSELF. Imagine being able to spontaneously capture happy moments because you always have a camera with you. Imagine being able to take the picture 5 times so you don’t look shit (LIKE 90% OF THE PRE-PHONE PHOTOS OF ME). You probably have one of those “Modern Life is Rubbish” books and moan that children don’t play outside any more.
4. I worry this stuff makes people self-edit. In fact, I know it makes people self edit. And that is bullshit. Congratulations, your snark made someone decide not to post more than 2 pictures of the great night out they’re having. Ain’t you a big deal online.

I honestly fear that we have become overwhelmed by a sea of snark. When Glastonbury was on recently twitter was besieged by people just yelling in to the internet how shit it was. They were watching it and shouting about how shit the band (any band, all the bands) were. I know some of you get your kicks from hate follows and hate watches and who am I to judge but I am old, so I have less years left than you and am I fuck spending them doing or watching things I hate.

Maybe I seem like a hypocrite. I have been known to produce snark of my own and I certainly laugh at some of yours but the people I like, the people who make my online life happier, they like stuff and they have fun and they tell me about it and I am really really glad they do.