THE TERROR OF LIKES

Why I didn't leave a like or comment on two Insta posts. A dear acquaintance texts me this. I blink twice. Dude. Those posts were made in the last twelve hours. And exactly during those hours, I was offline for a bit. A case of no charger nearby and an overwhelming sleep situation. And I can tell you: I loved it.

Apparently, the person in question had a different idea about a heart than I did. When I get home, my kids jump on my phone like starving hyenas, all the apps are being used, and with a bit of luck, the device is empty when I put them to bed. Something I can actually find quite pleasant, because I can be incredibly content for hours with a cup of tea (actually wine, but that sounds too Jellinek) in my right hand and WhatsApp in my left. So it often happens that I overlook posts on Instagram or Facebook. No matter how sweet, nice, and handsome I find the person in question. Nothing personal. Just a matter of a dead battery and too many types on my timeline.

Still, I thought about it. Actually, all day long. A. Because I really like the person in question and B. because I sometimes check if ‘so and so’ liked my photo. Because I also have the idea that I've done something wrong when some people who always like everything suddenly don't show up with hearts and comments.

“And I can tell you: I loved it.”

At the end of the day, I concluded that it's a ridiculous situation we find ourselves in. I had the Followers+ app (a.k.a. the hell of May) and we could get really upset in the editorial office if someone unfollowed us. Because it could also be someone we thought liked us.

Another topic is that there are people who don't follow you but do watch your videos on Insta Stories. In other words: they don't give you their ‘vote’, but still want to know what's going on.

My Followers app no longer works and I love it. I like the people I like, whether they follow me or unfollow me. Whether they like me or not. I can imagine that at some point you get a bit tired of my fashion terror or polished desk snapshots. Just because I enjoy it doesn't mean you want to see it.

I still like you just as much, besides, you probably have already seen it all on Instagram, and this way I have something to tell you next time we see each other in real life. Because let's be honest: face-to-face contact, eating together, and sending handwritten cards straight from the heart, that's what life is really about.

Amen.