Receive a video call at 4 in the morning from an ex with whom you have not had contact for years, hit I like on a photo of the neighbor across the street on Instagram, making an unwanted retweet of someone you hate… They are small slips of the finger that can rise to the category of social tragedy, or in the best of cases, to a “ “Earth swallow me” from which it is difficult to get out. It is the embarrassing moment that occurs when—human curiosity be damned—whoever is reviewing WhatsApp profile photos accidentally presses the call or video call button, and the platform is not merciful: at the moment in which the fingertip caresses that lethal button, the call is triggered, with the consequent notification to the gossip. We are also referring to accidental “likes”, a photo posted on Facebook or Instagram, an orgy of nonsense from someone who was at the worst time and in the wrong place. A double click with your finger, much easier than it might seem, to a person we have no contact with, opens the doors of an underworld that no one wants to enter.
The 'earth, swallow me' that everyone wants to avoid
“The first thing is to assume that 'I screwed up' (sorry),” explains Mauro A. Fuentes, professor of digital strategy and content at the IsDI business school, “in the event that you were stalking”. Sources cite the term on the internet stalk (stalking, in English) that describes these attitudes of online gossip, or digital harassment classified in the criminal code in the most serious cases.
In that case, any explanation given that is not the real one will be even more humiliating for those who are trigger-happy (and clumsy). “You have to try not to make a fool of yourself by making strange excuses,” explains this expert. “When you try to explain a reason that is not credible, the feeling of shame will be difficult to forget,” he adds.
Something like this happened to Juan (a person who prefers to remain anonymous): in a group that had been created by former college classmates and on a sleepless night, he decided that it would be a good idea to review the profile photos of its members, to see how the passage of time had treated his friends. Juan stopped at the profile of a colleague, a friend of his wife, and in a bad move on the sofa he pressed the 'nuclear button'. And at three in the morning, for even greater derision. To do? Our protagonist opted for the best option (if there is a good one): he wrote a message to this person, at the same moment, explaining the truth and apologizing for it. Today, he confesses, they remember it as a loving anecdote.
The most important thing: don't lose your cool
“The most common reactions may be fear, disbelief ('this couldn't have happened') and shame,” explains the psychologist. Joan Salvador Villalonga. “They are normal reactions, which we will experience in many other moments of life and for which, it is best to breathe deeply to regain calm,” he adds. This expert recommends not panicking, since “intense emotion, whatever it may be, makes it very difficult to make important decisions.” Faced with this accidental click, there are several alternatives with which you can try to get out of the quagmire, but “whatever it is, the decision must be made calmly.”
In most cases, the incident will remain as a vague memory in the memories of those involved. “Only when that click or this involuntary video call could have serious consequences should we be concerned,” explains Villalonga. “For example, when we do it on our boss's profile in a job interview,” he says.
Why don't the platforms avoid this bad situation?
The facts show that the platforms do not do enough to prevent these accidents. Why is the video call button placed next to the profile photo in WhatsApp? Why is it so easy to double-click on a screen where the natural gesture requires you to have your fingers on it? Is this voluntary or an accidental interface design issue? Fuentes makes his suspicion clear: “I have the feeling that certain functionalities may be close on purpose,” he explains, “like when a platform changes the position of buttons and functionalities where the risk rises to the absolute certainty that it could be done wrong. ”.
This digital communication expert refers to the “unforced errors” that Instagram sometimes leads to: “It is quite common to respond by mistake to the story that a friend sends you, and that response goes to the original author and not to your friend”. In this sense, Fuentes suggests that platforms have tools at their disposal “to warn” the user before he makes a mistake. Thus, a small alert could be activated that goes off when a video call is made to someone who is not even among our contacts.
To avoid as much as possible the possibility of having this bad experience, experts recommend caution when you want to snoop on someone's profile photo. And if the disaster has already occurred, the best thing to do is always tell the truth: it will remain in the memory that the perpetrator has been, above all, brave and sincere (in addition to, of course, gossip).
You can follow EL PAÍS Technology in Facebook and x or sign up here to receive our weekly newsletter.
#Manual #digital #klutzes #catch #gossiping #photo #Instagram #WhatsApp #profile