A defence of the viral question
If you’re active on Twitter, you’ve probably commented, shared or quote-tweeted an open question from a random person. You may have even set the question itself — an epicentre of engagement.
Some people look on this with a tilted brow, cynically chastising others for taking part in the activity.
“Why should I care when everyone’s most embarrassing moment was?”
It’s hardly an exercise in data burglary. I don’t know many hacker types but if they can steal identities from within the answers about when you slipped on a triple scoop gelato in Rome and tripped into the Trevi Fountain, my god, that’s some skill. (Both the hacking and tripping)
In fact, the Metropolitan Police’s digital division should be taking note if these viral questions produce mass swathes of identity theft. It would make a change from standing around Winston Churchill statues. Indeed, if such a mass collection of identity data was stolen, the hackers might fancy converting us all into profiles of Churchill. At least then we’d have some protection for the future.
The snobbishness of people who criticise others for engaging with open questions is a perplexing trait. It can’t be just digital pessimism. Maybe it’s jealousy? One person’s illuminating answer might be the antithesis to a cynic’s irreverent griping, but it’s hardly going to change the core of someone’s being.
“I once had sex outside a ski and snowboarding shop in the French Alps. Yes it was cold but good lord were there some peaks.”
I like Twitter’s wacky questions and open discussions. We seem to forget too easily that behind every tweet is a person. An actual breathing person. (I’ve forgotten what those look like to be honest. Lockdown has been a cruel one for perpetual loners.) People are enormously complicated and their answers to these questions show us that. Heaven forbid we actually try and act like passionate human beings for a solitary moment, on a grim timeline filled with thirst tweets and pile-ons.
Also, what’s wrong with a bit of fun? Yes it’s not exactly quiz nights, boozing or bowling, but injecting a creative spark into a dreary timeline should be encouraged. We live for those experiences, those anecdotes to bashfully reveal to others. It’s a giant game of truth or dare — but the dares are usually being told to log off for being a twat. A valid reason in most cases.
“If I could have dinner with three celebrities, dead or alive, I’d go for a Chinese buffet with Humphrey Bogart, Boudicca and Kermit the Frog.”
I particularly enjoy those creative questions which make you reach into your personality. They challenge you as much as entertain you. Who wouldn’t want to dream? Fantasy scenarios where travelling the world or dining with the dead are dissected into 280 characters. It used to be 140 characters too! Could you imagine the editorial skill needed to tell everyone about your obsession with cheese as a teenager in such a squeeze?
You might be the most boring person, clad in beige and buff, but still come up with an interesting scenario which tells your audience how you think. A profile picture is just one face — it’s our words and experiences that reveal more.
“I once saw Matt Baker standing outside a gay sauna. I don’t think he realised where he was as he was carrying a heavy Lidl shopping bag and wearing corduroys.”
When I’m bored, I like to create characters in my head. I give them stories and voices and interactions with other equally strange personas. If I’m on my own, I may even act these ghosts out.
Creativity is about these random moments, perfecting them into an art form. My characters are just extensions of what nonsense is going on in my head. Others might choose to take part in a Twitter question to express themselves in similarly unique ways. And while I’m no Shakespeare of the slightly manic character making world, I’d like to think in a cheeky pinch my skill could be displayed with a bit of flair. Twitter is a social network as much as it is about news, death and celebrities. It rewards creativity, it unnecessarily punishes it too.
If you’re ever sat there with a quote tweet ready, worried about a reaction to your engagement with an open question, ignore that devilish voice. Speak out and share your stories and thoughts. We spend too much time in our lives worrying about the conventions and conformities of society to endure. If social media has given us anything, it’s a platform to show our creative side.
