"Stop Embarrassing Me"

I have an uncle who years ago when speaking to his children said "Stop embarrassing me".  It has become a well used phrase in our family.

It used to be -- back before social media -- that most people's embarrassing antics were kept within small circles.  Now, it seems, that people post their entire life history minute by minute on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snap Chat, and any other social media that I'm unaware of-- Much of which is embarrassing to the family on which it reflects.

Not only do they share a play-by-play of their life -- which is often embarrassing enough.  But they also express their whacked out philosophies on life and share their usually misguided opinions often times using profanity to do so.  Because apparently they don't have a large enough vocabulary or command of the English language to express themselves properly without using profanity.  I mean really, who wants to see a photograph of their drunken relative with a profane caption?  And it's posted for all the world to see.  And believe it or not, that's a mild example of what I'm talking about.

Now, you may wonder how I'm aware of such things when I'm obviously much too smart, too cool, and too wise to own any of the aforementioned social media accounts.  It's because people tell me about them.  And occasionally show me examples.  Even that small amount of exposure is too much embarrassment. And that's actually one of the reasons why I don't do social media.  I don't want to see how stupid some of my relatives really are. I already have a good idea of how stupid they are, I don't need daily minute by minute proof. And I don't need to see them disgracing the family name by their disgustingly ridiculous antics posted on social media for all the world to see.

Now I know that I'm not my relatives and they all have their agency, but I can't help but feel that my family somehow reflects on me.  I can't help but think about everybody who's watching, reading, or following my embarrassing relatives' social media posts and feel a little bit embarrassed. Mostly for them.

  I'm not saying that all of my relatives are embarrassments.  I have many relatives who I am proud to share genetics with.  But to those who choose to waste their life posting ridiculous things on social media I say, "Stop embarrassing me".

That's my two cents.