How Not To Use A Hashtag

I use hashtags in daily conversation, #guilty.

It’s gotten a bit out of hand, I’ll admit. I remember when we all started using Twitter, and hashtags were still new and cool. We’d add one or two hashtags that related to whatever we were tweeting about that day and we’d make the best use of those 140 characters.  The idea was to use a hashtag that closely related to the theme of your post, with extra points for wit.

Then things took a dark turn…

Here’s what I can’t stand: #YouDontNeedOneLongHashtagToDescribeYourEntireTweet! Or, #each #separate #word. None of that makes sense.  I’m no social media guru (because that’s not even a real thing), but come on, people. Want to use trending hashtags (that don’t even apply to the context of your post) to get more followers? Fine. Do that. Want to use acronyms as hashtags, even though it’s not trending and we don’t know what you mean? Cool. Go for it. But, seriously, “#HAGN?” Am I the only one that didn’t know that meant “have a good night?” I thought I was hip and up to date, but clearly I’m not.

#SMH at myself, #disappointed.

It seems like the more digital our world gets, and the more we’re exposed to various online social tools, the lazier we’re getting. Please don’t tweet me “#hbd.” I’d much rather you just type out “happy birthday.” And not “#happy #birthday” either. Am I asking for too much?

Moral of the story is, when Chris Messina invented the hashtag, he didn’t know this is what our future was going to look like.

#SorryForTheRant

#JustReallyGrindsMyGears