Apparently I stumbled on quite the hot button on Instagram earlier this week. I posted this funny meme on sharing your runs on Facebook:
Shortly after posting, there were 30 different comments! I never get that many comments on Instagram photos, so I thought this issue was worth exploring…
As runners, we admittedly get excited about runs and all of the accompanying data that we can share about it with the rest of the world! BUT…clearly not everyone finds it as exciting as we do. Apparently, some people find it really annoying– especially the apps that automatically post EVERY one of your runs to Facebook.
I’ll admit, that one bothers me too. If I find out that a running app I’m using auto posts to Facebook, I’m in a mad dash to delete that little sucker!
Sure, we’ve all had some great runs and races, but I’m quite certain that no one cares how many miles I run on a given day, where I run, how fast I ran, what sneakers I wore, whether or not I wore a jacket, and the list goes on…
While one Instagram user made the point that you can just unfollow or hide people or apps that do this, I find it annoying when I see every single run a Facebook friend completes.
Another IG user mentioned that it’s bragging, or is it?? Yet another said that this is why they left Facebook and moved to Instagram to find runner friends.
Instagram came up quite a few times as the place to go to find other people who are just as crazy about running and all of the nitty, gritty details. Many users said that they switched their running discussion and deets to Instagram to find other like-minded people– INTERESTING! 🙂
Another one of my Instagram followers brought up the point that posting your runs might motivate others to start running and get active. I guess I hadn’t really thought of this point. I’m not sure if it would serve as motivation or just make someone who wasn’t running and in shape feel worse about themselves…
I find it so interesting how quickly this meme took off and people started chiming in– on both sides! Clearly it’s an issue we haven’t heard the last of yet!
So, I really want to know what you think! Please comment below: do you post your runs on Facebook, does it annoy you when others do? Let me know!
I wrote about this a few years ago (http://relentlessforwardcommotion.com/2011/11/judge-not-lest-ye-not-be-judged-by-your-facebook-status-update/) Basically my thoughts are this: I’d rather piss off 10 friends if it means that I motivate just ONE person to better their own lives by becoming active. And I don’t feel it’s bragging, we should be proud of our accomplishments, especially in a society that is SO sedentary and unhealthy :/
Great points Heather– especially since you have the experience and background to back it up! 🙂 I hadn’t considered the motivational factor as strongly until really sitting down to think about this. 🙂
I posted a typical run the other day because I finally got a sub 10 min mile, which I’ve been striving for since my 2nd was born. I don’t post all runs to fb or even ig… but I don’t care who does, either.
I love seeing people excited about their fitness accomplishments, even if it’s every day. To me, people being annoyed by other’s passions says more about them than the FB posters.