Nothing instils a sense of panic more than a notification that I’ve been tagged in a photo on Facebook. Gone are the days of film where there was a week turn-a-round on photos from celebrations – when one had to finish the film, take it to the chemist to get it processed, wait & then share them with whoever it was they ran into. The digital age has me quivering in my tubby boots, someone can snap a photo, upload it to Facebook & tag it before I’ve had time to remove spinach dip from my teeth. Photos can go viral quicker than you can actually catch a virus itself.
It always seems to happen when I’m offline or unable to un-tag myself. I remember when I was heavily pregnant, feeling like a hippopotamus, when I received a text from Hubby: ‘So-and-so just tagged you in a photo on Facebook – you might wanna check it.’
In other words it meant: ‘Someone tagged you on Facebook and the photo is crap. Do something. Quick. Panic.’
This happened pre-iPhone days, so it meant a major operation entailing dramatic phone calls, texts, un-tagging and embarrassment. The incriminating photo was promptly removed and all was well. Looking back now I do wonder if I was being a little too-dramatic, I was pregnant after all.
I’ve since learnt from the tagging adventure. When people are snapping unassuming photos at BBQs and parties, I quickly request “No Facebook, OK?” Of course, quite often my requests are ignored and the photos reach the world wide web and are shared with all to see. By all I mean friends and friends of friends, no one more {I hope}.
I long for the days of film to return, or Facebook to create a policy where we have to approve the photo before it’s allowed to be published. Until then I always ensure my teeth are spinach-free, that the photographers are shooting me from my best angle, that I’m in the bathroom when the camera comes our or I’m the one behind the lens. Or I’ll just continue to live in fear of that pesky notification: ‘You’ve been tagged’.
Have you ever been tagged in an unflattering photo? Have you ever tagged someone else and created problems for the tagee?
Hi Chantelle, just a quick thought on this…. Possibly one of the benefits of being that bit older is that this doesn't happen to me. Whew! I wouldn't like it at all. Maybe my friends just photograph and upload a lot less that younger folks? But must say that I do love, love, love Facebook. My personal account is a lifeline back to friends and family in Scotland.
I once had a 'friend' who used to only upload the really unflattering photos of me onto facebook. If there were any half decent photos they never made it on there.
I hate facebook for it's lack of privacy in that regard, you really should have to approve other people tagging you in photos.
I'm actually in the process of deleting my facebook profile.
Yeah, I have a lot of friends who feel the same way as you do and they have their photos turned off meaning no one can view tagged photos of themselves. They told me they don't like untagging themselves because they want to be able to go back someday and look at them and because it'll still be on FB so they want to be able to track them and if it becomes a problem someday then they can contact the person who put the pictures up and ask them to remove them.
ugh HATE the facebook tag.
I think it's a really horrible feature and wish people were more courteous about it.
I always ask people if they approve the pics before doing it- or I let them tag themselves.
If i want to tag someone i shall always ask them otherwise i wont tag simple hey!
For me it's not so much about photos as blogging. I keep my blogging and FB life pretty separate. There are people on FB that I don't want to advertise the fact that I blog to. So a few times I've had blog posts tagged that I haven't wanted, I've quickly untagged them and let them know about my 'no blog on FB policy'.
I'm with you on the tagging business. You'd think that maybe sometimes, the person tagging you, would warn you before they decided to put a not-so-flattering picture of you on Facebook. But of course, they don't.
Stupid Facebook.
i do dread when people post an unauthorized photo of me, just like you said… panic! what does it look like? is it one where i have horrible posture and my head is bent in such laughter that my face looks like a melting cookie? yep. i totally think we should have to approve the photo first… it's only fair. to us, and perhaps to the world. 😉
Hi there,
I do LOVE FB, for a couple of reasons. Sometimes it's a fantastic tool to stay in touch with family and OS friends & a really easy way to share photos of our life & our children with them. They can sit back and watch the kids grow right before their eyes. I am also really enjoying catching up with long lost friends, school friends and just people I haven't seen for many years – I love that!
As far as the photos go, I DID hate being photographed & tagged without knowing. I am VERY obese and have an illness that makes the bones in my face, hands and feet grow. I feel I look disgusting BUT my views have really changed.
Last September at the age of 35 I had to drive over 1,800kms and two days for surgery to have a brain tumour on my pituitary removed. I now have the view that this is me. This is what I look like. I know I am doing the best I can do look good & feel great & if no one likes the way I look it's their problem. You know, my family & friends see me all the time, they know what I look like, it's me with the problem. Looking back, I realised that there are only 3 or 4 photos taken of me over the last 15 years. That's all. No photographic record of me at all. When I was asked for evidence of how my body & facial features had changed due to my illness, I was unable to present any.
I always tried to hide behind the camera but now, I am starting to venture out.
People love you for who you are, they don't care what you look like. Don't be so hard on yourself. I can understand you not wanting to be tagged for privacy reasons but don't hide from photographs because you feel like a hippopotamus. I'm sure you looked absolutely radiant 😉
I agree – I hate it. I aint no diva at all, but it shits me.
So true – who invented tagging anyway
I love taking pictures and since I have starting getting more comfortable with the computer I tag photos. But I make sure that when I do take pictures, I pick the best ones. I know I hate getting my picture taken so I give them the courtesy of only posting the nicest ones.
I don't tag photos of people on Facebook for this very reason. Just in case they wouldn't like to be tagged. I wouldn't post a pic of someone if I thought they wouldn't like it, but I've seen other people's pics where they've tagged friends who don't display even a profile pic on their FB account, and I wonder why they would do that? Obviously that person isn't keen on putting their pic out there!
I find the digital age scary too. The very thought that people could just post an unflattering photo of someone in an instant. Not good.
great post!
there are a couple of groups of friends that I know will fb share there photos…one group is pretty discerning…another not so much and every single unedited photo gets posted and tagged, blurry ones included.
the thing that annoys me most is when I see people posting photos of their children in a school environment surrounded by other childrens faces…if I find my children in such photos I politely ask that they are removed from facebook. I never post photos of other peoples children without asking and expect the same courtesy
Tatum xx
Uh oh. I am a self confessed serial photo tagger. This post has made me realise that perhaps I should resist the temptation to tag from now on! xxx
I feel the same way! I am not a tagger, and I don't believe in it! Post photos of yourself, people. When I post pics of family and such on my blog, I ask if it is ok.
I recently went to a bbq where I told one of the snap happy guests that I didn't want my photo taken. She took this as a challenge and ultimately a very unflattering photo ended up on facebook. The problem is she isn't one of my fb friends (she is friends with my partner) so I have no way of getting that photo of fb and every one of her friends can see it.
This is quite funny Chantelle, as I have been the victim of some very unflattering facebook tags and it always makes me wonder WHY did the person tag me… or even upload it… if I looked so bad. Hmmm, that's a question for another time.
I have untagged myself many times from photos on facebook. I love the digital age personally, but I do think we take it too far on occasions. Let the fab memories of a big night out settle, before you're putting them out there for the world to see, sheesh!
I think that the more painful thing is when you do post a picture and well meaning friends go and tag EVERYONE in said picture, not realising you didn't do it in the first place for a reason!
Tagging in pictures isn't something that I have ever done unless it a picture I really want them to see, but then a message to the link if a funny picture is better.
Oh yeah!
Un-tag! Un-tag! Un-tag! Ooh, I don't have a double chin in this one! Un-tag! Un-tag! Un-tag!
I hear you!
My Mum will often upload photos of things like her new kitchen and tag me in them so I will go and look at the photos. I then end up with a photo stream full of pics of her home improvements!
Agree. Hate FB tagging. I've changed the settings so I can't be tagged…doesn't stop the photo still going up though!
Was on facebook, now I'm not. The privacy issues bug me. The fact that if I ran into anyone they already knew everything from reading it on facebook. The only “friends” that talked to me were once I talk to anyway so what was the point of having all these other “friends” that didn't even bother. So it is now gone, and I feel free.