Let's get into it....these days we are inundated with social media photography. During the digital photography revolution which started in the early 2000's and is still going on. Those who would have never thought of spending thousands on a film camera, lens and processing now have the ability to jump onto the bandwagon. To see their photo before they process it or even click the shutter. The ability to then print it, and retouch it with amazing speed via paid or free software is now all the rage.
There are dozens of free social photo sharing sites online, you know the ones...Facebook, Instagram, You Tube, Tik Tok, Flickr, Google, SmugMug, PicFair...the list goes on and on. The ability to sell photos online is endless, along with the billions of photos post by the minute. Behind all this is advertisers making money, Youtubers making thousands off of promotional fluffy reviews, and then there's the people commenting in and on those social arena's. It's all big business for sure...But, the real point of this topic is purely the social side...the dilemma of it all. The parts that involve leading you, involving you, watching your purchases, your likes, your conspiracy comments, passive aggressions and most importantly the ability for people to punch below the belt and create tensions and non truths. "If you build it they will come". It's all a bit crazy that this nonsense has mingled it's way into online photography. I see so many posts and comments where the person (s) doesn't obviously even take the time to see the photo or read the description. Then there are those who hide locations and editing exif due to paranoia of someone one upping there photo. It's all a bit childish. They are just interested in clicking and moving on, hoping you do the same for them, because they are collectors of self gratification. There are the social media cliques where you can never be a part of. The are even group rules made by kings and administrators (actualy just regular people with egos). So the good comes with the bad in the social arena.
So the next time you comment on someone's photo in a social media site, be truthful in you critique, stay away from the sneaky underlying comments that hide jealousy, competition between friends or even to hurt someone purposefully. Don't comment just for the sake of a returned accolade or for your own personal showboating. Photography is like all art forms, subjective in it's critique...there are no real rules in how you take or present a photo or idea....keep it real, keep it kind and keep it truthful. Self satisfying narcissistic ego's have no place in digital photography or in life for that matter. I say it again...be kind, be respectful and be truthful....you'll feel better in the end.