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Tracing "25 Random Things"

Monday, February 16, 2009

Chris Wilson, assistant editor of Slate Magazine, looks at the evolution of the Facebook phenomenon "25 Random Things About Me."

Guests:

Chris Wilson

Comments [5]

Amy from Bronx

I got tagged about 2 weeks ago & started passing it on much like the monkey that your guest Chris Wilson mentioned. Surprisingly though, the results were not the pathetic responses Chris seems to think. Some of the feedback was I think cathartic & for some people it gave the readers a different & positive perspective of the writers.
I think in our hamster like lifestyles & for some people who have few outlets to connect or sound off it can serve a healthy & helpful purpose. It gives people the opportunity to see the similarities they may not have known existed. Granted it's not the best way to get to know people, but it offers something.

Feb. 16 2009 12:08 PM
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Office Worker (off duty)

People can do what I do--simply disregard these memes/internet trends entirely.

I didn't participate in the 25 items and I don't participate in anything on Facebook that asks me to tag other people. Which is all applications these days. When it became mandatory to tag all your friends just to play a little game on Facebook, I stopped doing so. Most of my friends are quasi-business associates/quasi-social associates.

Feb. 16 2009 11:59 AM
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Maldo from Manhattan

Those lists are not "random." Random means "by chance." These people are deliberately picking certain facts. Stop misusing "random," it's so annoying!

Feb. 16 2009 11:54 AM
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bridget

this is a very annoying phenomenon...people love to write self "depricating" comments about themselves... such as "my greatest flaw is that i trust too much"

Feb. 16 2009 11:54 AM
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Craig from NYC

Of course some people post meaningful notes, but I think you have to judge this "phenomenon" by the majority of items, not the best ones. These notes are generally pedantic at best and usually quite narcissistic.

Feb. 16 2009 11:06 AM
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