It's good to share, right? Growing up as kids we are told to share our toys and not be selfish. We also live in an age where discussing our feelings is encouraged. But when does it all become too much? With new crazes trending all the time, such as dance challenges and wearing a pillow as a dress, the question is: when can sharing become oversharing on social media?

 

What is oversharing? The term has become associated with social media, but it isn't exclusive to this platform. Imagine you head to a party and you meet someone. Within five minutes they have divulged¹ intimate details about their life. While some of us may try to escape these people, according to marriage therapist Carolyn Cole, this form of oversharing could come from a strong desire to connect with someone. But how does this translate to social media?

 

Dr Christopher Hand, a lecturer in cyberpsychology, says the more details people disclose, the less sympathy we express when things go wrong. This could be due to a belief that we attract our own negative experiences the more we share them. It seems that sadfishing, the idea of searching for sympathy by oversharing, is generally perceived as negative rather than the cry for help it could actually be.

 

However, Dr Hand's research also seems to suggest that the more we post on a platform, the more socially attractive we become – provided that the posts that we bang out are positive. Even back in 2015, Gwendolyn Seidman PhD, said that we should avoiding whining² and being negative online. We should also steer³ clear of showing off, bragging⁴ or flexing⁵, as it's now known – especially about our love lives. It makes sense – if your date is going 'that well', would you really have time to share a photo with text?

 

So, how can you know if you are oversharing? Well, why not ask your friends in real life. They would probably be more than happy to tell you if your posts about your breakfast or your gripes about your lack of money really are too much.

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