Many of us are guilty of oversharing on Facebook every once in a while – but, social media users are drawing the line at one seemingly intrusive question that’s popped up on their profiles this month.
In a bizarre flub, Facebook’s Did You Know feature – which is designed to ask questions that can provide better insight into your lifestyle – prompted some users with the statement: ‘I usually sleep with…’
While the firm says its intentions were innocent, with the expectation of answers along the lines of ‘my teddy bear’ or ‘my flannel PJs,’ Facebook users interpreted it in an entirely different way, with many assuming it was asking about their sexual habits.
In a bizarre flub, Facebook’s Did You Know feature – which is designed to ask questions that can provide better insight into your lifestyle – prompted some users with the statement: ‘I usually sleep with…’
The bizarre ‘I usually sleep with…’ prompt was first brought to the attention of Business Insider by a friend, British parliamentary researcher Reshima Sharma.
On Twitter, Sharma wrote: ‘Nah @facebook I know you’re keen on oversharing but this one is TOO nosey.’
Another Twitter user also shared a photo of the prompt on their own profile, writing ‘Things that #Facebook wants to know these days. Creep. Creepier. Creepiest.’
As many have since pointed out, the statement could be interpreted in two very different ways.
Its open ended nature leaves it unclear if Facebook was looking for answers on who the users are sleeping with, or what they’re sleeping with.
According to a Facebook spokesperson, the original intention was the less intimate ‘what’ scenario, in which users would reply with a description of their favourite stuffed animal, for example.
But, given the confusion, the firm has since decided to do away with the question altogether.
‘We learned one of the questions in the “Did You Know” feature was causing confusion among some people who saw it,’ Facebook spokesperson Daniel Harrison told Dailymail.com.
‘We imagined someone might tell their friends about sleeping with their favorite stuffed giraffe, but we’ve removed the question after our community provided feedback that it was too personal.’
Many of us are guilty of oversharing on Facebook every once in a while – but, social media users are drawing the line at one seemingly intrusive question that’s popped up on their profiles this month
As many have since pointed out, the statement could be interpreted in two very different ways. Its open ended nature leaves it unclear if Facebook was looking for answers on who the users are sleeping with, or what they’re sleeping with
The unusual fill-the-blanks-style statement, at first glance appeared a dramatic change of direction from the scenarios typically posed by the Did You Know tool.
Most users are acquainted with the feature, which launched last year as an optional questionnaire on your profile, and asks you to complete sentences designed to shape a better understanding of your life, from your aspirations to likes and dislikes.
Usually, this means statements such as ‘the superpower I most want is…’ or ‘Three things I couldn’t live without…’
But, this time around, it wasn’t quite clear what sort of response they were looking for.