Survey reveals 25% of women post ugly photos of friends on purpose
One in four women admit to maliciously posting unflattering photos of their friends wearing bikinis online.
Image courtesy flickr.com/yourdon
A recent survey of 1,500 women over the age of 18 revealed that 25% have deliberately posted unsavory photos of their friends, either seeking retribution or because they’d had a falling out.
The survey, conducted by the photo gift website MyMemory.com, also showed that 75% of those surveyed routinely “de-tag” themselves from photos they felt were unflattering, though 20% said they would not remove photos if they were asked to by a friend.
Even though a substantial number of participants were willing to humiliate and embarrass friends, a full two-thirds responded that they would be angry with others for doing the same to them.
“The etiquette of tagging friends in photographs on social networking sites is a tricky one to master, and with so many pitfalls, we wanted to look into women’s relationships with the photographs they upload to the sites in question.” -Rebecca Huggler, MyMemory.com
While this survey solely targeted women the practice is certainly not unique to the fairer sex. The unisex practice of photographing passed-out friends covered in whipped cream and permanent marker, known as “chiefing”, made a home of the internet long before the advent of social networking.
Marker-moustaches aside, what may start as a mischievous jab at a friend, could quickly escalate to cyberbullying. Although tempting, revenge is rarely the best course of action, here’s how you can protect yourself without stooping to their level.
Report/Remove Tag
Facebook allows users to remove a “Tag” of themselves from any photo, regardless of who uploaded it or tagged you it. Removing a tag of yourself in a photo disassociates that photo from your account making it less likely that other users will come across it in connection to you. First open the photo in Facebook, depending on which photo viewer you are using, you will see the option Report/Remove Tag at the bottom right either in the Options menu or among a list of options as seen in the screenshots below.
Once you’ve selected Report/Remove Tag you will be presented with a dialog box. From this dialog you can select I want to remove this tag as the simplest of options or for more serious issues you may flag the photo for review/removal by Facebook staff.
If you select I want to remove this tag you will be presented with a second dialog box asking whether you would like to Remove the tag [Your Friend] created, Ask [Your Friend] to take the photo down or Block [Your Friend]. Here you must evaluate your relationship with this person, what are the chances they will remove the photo if you ask? In many cases it’s best to just remove the tag, since users are not informed when tags are removed from photos they will most likely not even notice — however, asking them to remove the photo may just draw more attention to it. The third option, Block [Your Friend], will add the user to your block list and prevent them from tagging you in the future, they won’t get a notification but chances are they’ll notice that you blocked them eventually. For the record Bobby, I like this photo, I just needed an example.
Unfriend
Once you’ve untagged yourself, you may actually want to unfriend the offender. Fellow blogger Rhonda Callow covered how to accomplish this in an earlier post, How to unfriend someone on Facebook.
It’s one thing to post your own epic fails, but quite another for so-called friends to post them. With employers checking the Facebook profiles of job candidates it’s increasingly important to properly manage your online profiles and the resulting reputation — a daunting task if your friends are trying their best to embarrass and humiliate you.
What is your friend tagging etiquette? Do you remove photos when a friend requests it?
[via The Telegraph]
I was just wondering if anything could be less important than this article…Hmmmm. my head hurts just trying to come up with something…
The article is actually helpful, especially since so many companies and businesses (read: “prospective employers”) troll Facebook checking up on people. There’s been a general lack of education in the home regarding common courtesy, privacy, and empathy. Too many people think nothing of filling their Facebook pages with snaps they’ve taken of others, despite the protestations of the individual(s) against such activity. And those are the ones who are supposed to be friends. Life can be hell for those who are the victim of the bullying/troll faction – who do such things from purely malicious intent. So, no – this article isn’t useless. It’s merely a part of the on-going re-education in common courtesy to a public so badly lacking in any such training.
Mary well said the vast majority need a few courses by Emily Post. Social etiquette should be a mandatory course throughout grade and high school. Better manners, better people a kinder society will lower the suicides of those who are bullied. It is still a menacing daily occurrence which is still not being addressed sufficiently. Bullies should be made to the pariah that they attempt to make their victims.
http://www.emilypost.com/everyday-manners
Excellent observation. You look like a young man on the photo but are very wise. As a teacher, I don’t focus on the victim but make it clear to the bully or harasser that the bully has a serious issue. Bully-victim is in reality more complicated but the truth is that the bully has serious issues behind his or her behaviour. FAcebook itself is really good because it is totally Darwinian in nature, that is, those who just cannot keep their lack of manners, and anger to themselves are usually of lower intelligence and just ‘have to’ share it.
Phil, you are reading my mind. This the best of best, I have read on human behaviour. After we all master all of these ” Social Etiquette” than we can honer the name Homo Sapience-Sapience.
If an employer is going to base their hiring process on whether someone is flattering in a bikini, then does one honestly want to work for a company like that? Unless it’s some sort of modelling company or the like, I guess. This makes me shake my head at how far we’ve fallen.
I just wasted 2 minutes reading the article and spending another 5 actually trying to think the same thing. It’s quite difficult to find anything less important. Wait.. Maybe the author could write an article about how people waste time reading articles that are a complete waste of time and how much each age range reads over a span of a year. lol
Yet you chose to reply to it. hhhmmm. Time is a wastin my friend.
@JI: Your definition of violence is skewed. Psychological violence is just as bad, as it is physical.. Nonetheless.. This is @Astonished: You said “I was just wondering if anything could be less important than this article” Yes, reading yours! If you knew how this affects people in everyday lives, you wouldn’t think this is mundane… Article delves into whats going on today and how many get to be effected psychologically.. Very helpful, anyone who has done that to someone else they should also read this… Unless you are one of them!
It is dishonest. It is more like 99% of women who do this.
I totally agree with you. What has the world come to when we are SOOOOO concerned about facebook? I mean, there are starving people, people dying in wars, diseases and natural disasters to deal with. but OH! You had better watch out what is going on with facebook! Such childishness causes so many stupid problems. I have closed down my facebook page just because of such stupidity. I, personally, would like to see the whole internet crash, and allow us to get back to meeting people in real life again. Remember how that was? When you actually knew your neighbours and your friends lived next door?
Better off without facebook for me, I am a much happier person SEEING the people I care about, instead of getting poked by complete strangers!
women’s logic
pluck out all eyebrows… paint them back on
Is the writer of this article even on Facebook? Everybody knows that ‘Blocking’ somebody is the ultimate goodbye. They cannot see you and you can no longer see them. Period. It severs all connections between two parties including “friendships”. If you then unblock them, you will have to send another friend request to them, if you want to be ‘friends’ again. If you block a person they do not have a choice in unfriending you because you have already disappeared and are no longer on their friends list.
Thanks for pointing this out, I have updated the article. I had mixed up blocking with restricting. I’ll have to go block some folks to get to stick ;)
Who had a falling out with you Phil?
Of all the things people do to get revenge… this is why humanity is DOOMED.
I can’t wait for the apocalypse. So much filth and poor societal etiquette.
i shall be your wingman lol
HI Wingman:
Could you be a ck?
blackjohn
WOOOOOO!!!!
Didn’t read.. lol
Amazingly lame.
Heard this on the radio a week ago. Old news.
well i just shat!!!!!!!
I had a friend post a picture in her locker, many years ago, that was unflattering. I was in a bikini and never wanted her to take the picture in the first place. Now she’s fat and stretched marked and I have an amazing body. Karma’s a bitch.
And yet you still think about it. That’s just kind of pathetic.
I honestly never thought about it ’til I read this article. You’re probably fat and stretched marked and that’s why you’re all butt-hurt.
Rational Girl, if you count your obese rolls as an amazing body. Then I suppose, you’re right.
115 pounds is fat these days? Interesting. How much does your spouse weigh?
Some one posted a picture of me wearing Richard Simmons workout panties and sporting a Justin Bieber toupee. Now l cant get a date unless l go to my local petting zoo. I WANT THAT PICTURE REMOVED AND MY LIFE BACK TYVM!
LoL
Facebook is one useless website, for lonely people with no life.
Indeed.
WELL SAID!! Nobody really talks to each other any more. Texting, e-mailing, Facebooking… Can’t anybody just pick up a phone for god’s sake???
The article said 25% of “women”. However since many of today’s 20 somethings behave like children it doesn’t surprise me. If 50 is the new 40 then it stands to reason that 20 is the new 10. These “women” are simply childish little brats who have never heard the word “no”. They were raised to have the sense of entitlement that is so common among young people today. Manners are lost on the ignorant.
Women Vs. Women = bitchfest. No shock there.
Boy do I feel badly for today’s young men! What a generation of women to choose from!
After seventeen tortuous years apart I found a beautiful picture of my daughter with the two grandkids that I knew nothing about. I proudly posted this picture on my page, only to have her report me to FB who threatened to close my account if I didn’t remove it. So cruel!
I am sorry to say, but there are definitely anger issues there on your daughter’s part and man I feel for you as I a in the same boat …. just do not have pics of any grand kids.
In my experience women are their own worst enemies. Nasty, two-faced and generally just plain mean to oneanother. If two men have a problem they usually just hash it out. Women, on the other hand, pretend everything is fine when it is not, and then go behind oneanothers’ backs with nasty comments etc. For the younger set, it’s often over some guy who doesn’t give a flying you-know-what about either one!
not all of us can laugh at ourselves but more of us should!!
This does not surprise me as it is already known that women are far more worse and vindictive than men in holding grudges and not letting things go, men are more violent, but females are way worse in other ways.
Another reason the younger set should be aware that those ungodly photos taken at the last party will re-surface and bite them in the ass. “How cool can I be” translates to “what a jerk I was” Help mommy!!!!!
I find this activity to be illegal, to post unflattering pictures of your friends on Facebook, by women. If this is happening, then maybe Facebook should be shut down.
Facebook has become a notorious website that does not protect or respect the rights and privacy of human beings.
It is incredible how a bunch of people created the most invasive, detrimental and fastiduious monster ever created in the internet.
What started for just keeping close contact with friends and relatives, now is playing against us, and in the worse case, may affect us emotionally and economically.
If you have kids, please tell them to stay away fro Facebook.
There are so many ways to keep in contact with friends.
Phone lines had been around for more that 100 years. and still has some sort of privacy.(taht is if the CIA or FBI are not in your hunt)
So, please, don’t be a dumb!!
Kill the facebookmania
Just plain jealousy.
Facebook is crap , and so are the liars on it!