Facebook has started sending me a weekly list of trending hashtags. They want me to create content around these topics because they have already gone viral.
A video needs at least 1 to 5 million views to be considered viral. Sure, I would like to jump on the bandwagon, use a viral #, and get more views on my content. But as I looked through this list, the lack of depth made me sick to my stomach.
Here’s the list of viral hashtags for August 2023:
#lovesong #mercuryretrograde #softlife #happyaugust
#madonna #inclusivitymatters#jonasbrothers #blackpink #ozuna
The #lovesong I will address in a later post. I think the world needs more love at this point. So yay! Here’s a good topic that I can work with.
#mercuryretrograde is rather interesting. It is an optical illusion in the sky that makes Mercury look as if it’s going backwards. Of course, this is taken to extremes, and now everyone is using this hashtag, but basically, it’s nothing more than horoscopes. There’s nothing in this about personal growth, loving your neighbor, and reaching out a hand to help those in need. But it’s interesting nonetheless.
#Softlife. This one has been taken to extremes. It started out as not allowing yourself to be mentally bogged down with stress and chaos. It was a way of preserving your mental health. Now, it has gotten to the point where some people say they shouldn’t have any stress, work, or problems whatsoever. It’s like everything else. Things get taken to the extreme and blown out of proportion.
The next one is #happyaugust. What is happy about August? We have people burning off the face of this planet and children missing in Maui. I don’t see anything happy about that, but in reality #happyaugust could be a way of wishing people a blessed day or month. You have to choose to be positive and choose to be happy because the world around you is in chaos. I agree with that, however we also need to remember those that are hurting in August and reach out a hand of comfort and support.
The next one is #madonna. I have never liked Madonna. Some people like her music and that’s fine, but now she is an old lady trying to stay relevant and watching her videos makes me sad. She has no self-value or she wouldn’t be putting herself out there in such a trashy, disgusting manner. #prayformadonna that would be a good hashtag to see. She’s a mess.
#Inclusivitymatters this one is another one where they have taken it to extremes. We should try to include people and not exclude so many people. That’s great. There are a lot of toxic people out there that you cannot include in your everyday life, or they will take over your existence. So again, another hashtag that’s got millions of views, and yet it’s not really helping people the way it sounds like it is.
#Jonas Brothers, #blackpink #ozuna all of these are music group for those of you that may not know. I have not found one song put out by any of these groups that impresses me, but I’m a bit old school. I like Southern Soul Gospel and a bit of 1980s Rock, so nah, these groups don’t fit in that crazy mold. I find the group Black Pink disturbing, however. Black Pink is nothing but a group of exploited little Asian girls. You’ll be disturbed, too, if you research what happens to these little girl bands as they age. I have not heard Ozuna sing so I cannot comment on him. The Jonas Brothers, I’m sorry, are just another boy band. I have nothing against these three groups, but I do have a problem with this list of hashtags. As a “Semi-Intellectual” looking for depth, I find them disturbing.
(I call myself a “semi-intellectual” because I’m also a goofball who does stupid things from time to time and my kids will be the first to verify that!)
Here are my questions:
Why isn’t #prayformaui a thing getting millions of views? Why isn’t #mauineedsourtaxdollars thing? Why aren’t there any viral hashtags about personal growth, giving back to the community, or making this a better place for our kids? Speaking of children, where is the viral hashtag for the missing kids in Maui?
Now, I know I’m supposed to be a positive thinker, and I am. The last time I put something serious on my Facebook page, I got a bunch of hate mail because I dared to say something negative.
Being positive does not mean that you cannot see reality. It means you try to dwell on positive things as much as possible. It’s to save your mental health. But I have very little positive to say about this list of hashtags. This content is getting millions of views, which I find disturbing. Our country is falling apart, our world is falling apart, and our children need help. They are being exploited, abused, and manipulated. We need to be providing something of value to help them. Instead, this crap is what we are providing. (Oh no! This positive-thinking person said crap!)
Here’s my positive note for all of you who can’t handle the fact that I, a positive thinker, can also see reality.
We need to love our neighbor. I also think we have to love our own. While I love those fighting over in Ukraine, I also grieve for those of our own. Maui is destroyed. There isn’t a word strong enough to explain how decimated this area is. I can’t imagine sending my kids to school because that was supposed to be a safe place, and now, not knowing where my children are.
We must stop worrying about trending topics filled with fluff and unimportant things. We need to start helping each other. I guarantee you that if you look out of your window, you can find hurt and pain in those people surrounding you in your everyday life. I don’t have the means to get to or help Maui. But I can pray for them, and I can help those close to me. If every person focused on helping those closest to them, everyone on this planet would be helped. That circle of loving influence would reach places like Maui and the Ukraine.
We can change the world and make it a better place. But only once we get back to loving our neighbors. That doesn’t mean you have to approve of everything they do, and they have to be your best friend. But it’s time to drop the politics and just get back to loving humanity. So, there is my post on Facebook for your pathetic list of trending hashtags.
Love, Synova