The Accidental 'Like': 11 Irrational Fears All Social Media Users Have

There are a lot of things no one likes to admit: when we last washed our sheets, what we texted our crush while we were blackout or how many times a day we stalk an old flame on social media -- especially the latter.

When it comes to social media, there are a number of things everyone fears.

Accidentally viewing someone’s LinkedIn profile

Even if you aren’t attracted to the person in the slightest, it’s scary to imagine someone getting a notification that you specifically clicked on his or her profile. Expert tip: Sign out of your profile. Check to make sure you’ve signed out, and THEN view the profile.

That being said, we all fear the day a legit app or extension comes out showing us who viewed our Facebook profile. Remember the days of MySpace view counters? If Mark Zuckerberg EVER lets that happen, I’m done.

The accidental “like”

This is probably the most obvious and common fear. These days, we really only use Facebook for posting our own achievements and pictures and keeping tabs on friends, the people who sucked in high school (we have to make sure they still suck) and people we’re interested in.

Everyone, I don’t care who you are, goes through everyone else’s old profile pictures. This wasn’t so bad when our main method of using Facebook was on our computers, but the touch screens of iPhones and iPads make “liking” something that much easier.

People knowing what you favorite on Twitter

I’ll admit it: I went through a phase of favoriting every single tweet from members of One Direction. This stopped the minute Twitter decided to throw your “favorites” into your followers' feeds.

No, my former boss does NOT need to know that I (used to) obsessively tap the "favorite" button on every misspelled and grammatically incorrect tweet from Liam Payne. [Warning: This is also true on Instagram. I found that out when my friend sent me a screenshot of “lydiamansel liked 50cent's picture."]

Sending a Snapchat to the wrong person

You do NOT want to send that sweaty, double-chin picture to “Cameron,” when you meant to send it to “Caroline.”

The accidental follow/add

You won’t even know it until this person accepts (on Facebook) or pops up in your Twitter feed.

The “deny”

So, even if you DID accidentally add someone on Facebook, and it was too awkward or late to cancel the request, you just have to sit there and wait for him or her to accept. But… what if he or she never accepts? What if this person chooses the “Not Now” option?

The request just sits there, until you can’t stand it anymore and just cancel the request (like you should have done to begin with).

Posting a status, comment or caption with incorrect grammar

Not only do you look incompetent, it also just ruins the overall point or image. The fear is even stronger if your career involves writing or editing.

Seeing your crush on Tinder or Hinge

Do you swipe right or left? It’s already horrifying enough to imagine him or her seeing you desperate on an online dating app, let alone the fact that he or she could have possibly swiped left, and then you swiped right.

Maybe your crush hasn’t even seen you yet, but, oh God, what if he or she has??

Forgetting people can see you obsessively typing, stopping and retyping your reply on your iPhone

If you’re having trouble drafting a text, type out the message in your Notes app, and then copy and paste. It’ll appear that you effortlessly typed out this hilarious, witty and flirty, but not too flirty reply.

Leaving the “read” notification turned on

If you aren’t very tech-savvy, then I would suggest checking this -- twice. I’m thankful for all of my friends who know me too well and warned me of this the minute I got an iPhone.

Finally, we all fear posting something really embarrassing and WAY too honest on social media...

Come on, you know you’re thinking these things, too.

Photo Courtesy: We Heart It