Would we need social media if people just SPOKE to each other?

@boiboing (13153)
Northampton, England
March 15, 2016 8:02am CST
My friend has been sitting on a train this morning making Facebook posts about how annoying the kid sitting opposite her is being. Apparently he's got toothache and he's playing with an iPod without using a headset so the noise is driving her crazy. What would I do? I'd ask him (or his mum if she's there) to turn the sound off or to use a headset. If they refused, I'd look for somewhere else to sit and tell them they were rude and inconsiderate as I stomped off to my new seat. What would I NOT do? Ask all my buddies to sympathise with me on Facebook. How sad is it to be so expressive and yet NOT say a word to the irritating kid? I have sat in front of kids on planes who kick the seats, a kid at the dog show this last week who kicked my seat in time to the music, and irritating people on public transport. I will ask them politely first and if it carries on I'll tell them what I think of them. And I will go home and go to sleep, knowing that when faced with irritation I addressed it. My friend will go home and ask herself "Why am I such an idiot that I don't tell people that their behaviour is unacceptable?" Where would you fit on this spectrum?
22 people like this
24 responses
@WorDazza (15836)
• Manchester, England
15 Mar 16
If everyone just whines on facebook and never says anything to anyone who is being irritating how are they supposed to realise that they are being irritating? Ask nicely at first then get stroppy if it continues.
4 people like this
@boiboing (13153)
• Northampton, England
15 Mar 16
@WorDazza Sure will.
1 person likes this
@boiboing (13153)
• Northampton, England
15 Mar 16
Yet again, we are 100% aligned.
1 person likes this
@WorDazza (15836)
• Manchester, England
15 Mar 16
@boiboing As someone who is about to embark on a 12 hour flight in a couple of days I will possibly need to practice what I preach!! I hope you will be there with me in spirit.
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
15 Mar 16
I am probably more like you. I would ask the mother to turn the sound off if she did not I would let her have it too!
3 people like this
@yalul070 (1713)
• Manila, Philippines
15 Mar 16
You know sometimes, people just want to post something on facebook. It doesn't really matter what they post about. They could have done something about something that irks them but they choose to share it to the world instead. I think it is human to yearn attention. But there are just those attention-hungry humans. In that situation, I'd probably move to another seat. I was in a same situation before. I was lining up to get on the bus carrying stuffs my kids asked me to buy. So at one point I accidentally brushed the bag of the woman to my front. To my horror, the woman gave me that look and held her bag closer to her chest. Okay, I was already feeling so tired carrying all those bags and the last thing I needed was somebody who would look at me like I was a what? A pickpocket? Seriously? I may look haggard but I'm sure I was still dressed decently. I felt so insulted I really wanted to take a swipe at her but my better sense just told me to...post about it on facebook. Anyway, the comments went wild and every single facebook friend who read it wanted to go to where I was to hit that woman. Funny, I felt okay after that.
2 people like this
@dpk262006 (58673)
• Delhi, India
16 Mar 16
My sympathies to that unknown woman whom you made your target on Facebook and everyone jibed at her.
1 person likes this
@dpk262006 (58673)
• Delhi, India
17 Mar 16
@yalul070 That is why my sympathies are with her. Had she come to know that you were targeting her on FB, she might have sued you.
1 person likes this
@yalul070 (1713)
• Manila, Philippines
16 Mar 16
@dpk262006 oh! but she didn't know she was under attack lol!
1 person likes this
• United States
15 Mar 16
I once went out to eat with a friend who was a salesman. A group of musicians started setting up very close to us. He mentioned, in a voice loud enough for them to hear, "Isn't that wonderful? We're going to have lovely, soft music playing quietly in the background while we eat." So smart.
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (109865)
• Los Angeles, California
15 Mar 16
I would just up and move. I have learned from experience that you are greeted by an F U attitude that includes Don't tell me what to do with my kid, turning the volume higher and being called a racist.
1 person likes this
@boiboing (13153)
• Northampton, England
15 Mar 16
That's a real shame.
1 person likes this
@miniam (9154)
• Bern, Switzerland
15 Mar 16
l find social media is over used for useless things.Your friend had time to complain in social media about this kid but not try to talk to the kid? At the end, the kid did not even know that what he was doing was acceptable, if your friend could have said anything, even if the kid did not listen, at least he/she will know not all people do appreciate their peace being disturbed.
2 people like this
@dpk262006 (58673)
• Delhi, India
16 Mar 16
I agree with your approach that if people are impolite to us and specially some kids doing nonsense near us, they must be politely told about it and if they do not listen, we should not hesitate to shout on them. There are some shameless people in this world, who just don't bother about others. Having said that I would not like to post such incident on my FB page.
@scheng1 (24650)
• Singapore
15 Mar 16
If that kid has a bad toothache, he probably is feeling very irritated already. Just bear with it. I think talking to him or his mother will make the matter worse. I know that I will likely lose my temper if I got a toothache.
@boiboing (13153)
• Northampton, England
15 Mar 16
Sometimes people don't care that they are annoying other people. Sometimes they just don't realise that they are.
@SIMPLYD (90727)
• Philippines
17 Mar 16
I feel the same way as you . I would tell them politely or if they won't i will also just glare at them rather than posting about it at Facebook .
@cherriefic (10401)
• Philippines
15 Mar 16
Maybe just to post something. It is being chronic in FB to post whatever nonsense is happening. It's annoying to read the wall already.
@boiboing (13153)
• Northampton, England
15 Mar 16
Yes, you're probably right.
1 person likes this
• Preston, England
15 Mar 16
I will complain directly to the nuicance maker if confident they won't get violent about it
@boiboing (13153)
• Northampton, England
15 Mar 16
It's a kid - not a 17 stone tattooed guy with visible body piercings. In my student days I often asked people who were smoking downstairs on buses to politely F-off upstairs. Now it's hard to even imagine anybody smoking on a bus.
2 people like this
• Preston, England
15 Mar 16
@boiboing despite the smoking ban quite a few passengers still try smoking on public transport
@miniam (9154)
• Bern, Switzerland
15 Mar 16
@boiboing not all 17 stone tattooed guys are mean, some of them are quite responsible. some time ago while in the bus, this drunk was REALLY being rude to me, using rude language and even tried to hug me by force,people started moving away and l was horrified and helpless. This tattooed guy came to my help. A neighbours son is tattooed and pierced but he`s a very nice person
• Philippines
16 Mar 16
I'll just move to the other seat if there's available place or seat to transfer to. I hope he's okay now and prefers to not to be bothered by them.
• United States
15 Mar 16
I avoid places where people are LOL!
1 person likes this
@MALUSE (69428)
• Germany
15 Mar 16
I'd be at your side. Together we'd tell the culprits what's what!
@boiboing (13153)
• Northampton, England
15 Mar 16
We would be a scary combination. And if @garymarsh6 comes too, we can change the world.
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
15 Mar 16
@boiboing OH yes the formidable three! Sometimes a scowl works wonders!
@boiboing (13153)
• Northampton, England
15 Mar 16
@garymarsh6 I heard @MALUSE has laser beams that shoot out of her eyes when she's annoyed.
• United States
15 Mar 16
I would politely ask the person to stop doing whatever they were doing that was bothering me. I have had kids kick my seat or pull my hair or whatever when sitting on the train. Often it is an accident, because the child is squirmy. Sometimes the child just thinks it is funny and is doing it to amuse himself or herself to pass the time. In either case, I will ask nicely at first and then get more forceful if it continues.
@amadeo (111956)
• United States
15 Mar 16
Yes,it is very annoying.Mothers think that it is cute but notThe kids today and even young adults pay more attention to their electronic device.Which is so sad as they need to speak to each other.I would told the Mother on this.
@Jessicalynnt (50525)
• Centralia, Missouri
15 Mar 16
lol, yeah, no point whinging if you wont say anything.
@TheHorse (203705)
• Walnut Creek, California
15 Mar 16
I don't get irritated easily. But I like to be present wherever I am. Therefore, I usually leave my cell phone at home. I worry that humans are gradually losing the ability to communicate in the real world.
@Lucky15 (37346)
• Philippines
15 Mar 16
the reason why i "unfollow" people in facebook :( better tell them in their face and not everything be posted
@rina110383 (24497)
15 Mar 16
I'd go for the first option, I'll tell the mom/kid to use a headset or turn off the volume instead. If it won't work, I'll transfer to a different seat. Never will I post my frustration on Facebook. It won't solve the problem anyway so I won't bother doing the same. I prefer communicating it directly to the person concerned.