#Facebook are to introduce a 'dislike' button - how could that possibly go wrong? ...

If you follow me, you know that I am a seasoned user of most things social media having had a facebook, twitter, linkedin-a-gram account since a very long time. Social media can be a great way to stay in touch, people share, express ideas and learn from each other.

It can also be a place where tempers flare, opinions accelerate in heated exchanges and ideas are often taken the wrong way. 

Democratic cyber space is great.

So - liking or hitting favourite for something on social media shows approval, or acknowledgement. Therefore cold logic dictates that a dislike button would work in the same yet opposite manner. Where sad, human issues can be acknowledged with the use of an emotionally correct button. 

Then we all stop and remember - social media does not offer the subtlety of the real (non virtual) world. Actions we consider inappropriate in daily life often play out in the space offered by social media. There has been considerable press on this over the years and I reckon we may be heading for more.

Consider this scenario, you have a couple of hundred friends, you share a picture of your newborn child. A few people like the picture - this is normal. Then someone accidentally presses the dislike button. The furore that follows may even make the plot of a well versed soap opera / situation comedy.

Equally worse, someone shares a personal challenge - a frailty which is brave of them to post on social media. So called friends then share - shame and hit dislike, encouraging others to do the same. While we do advise many on safe and sensible social media presence. I am sure that many will make this mistake.

While the idea has merit, humanity in our many forms are both capable and incapable of behaving appropriately. The dislike button may become a new tool for trolls (and fools alike) to make the lives of others uncomfortable on Facebook. Unless there is a way for Facebook to selectively control where/when dislike is going to be used. I may have to repeatedly put pictures of unicorns on facebook to ensure I get the most dislikes possible.




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