Facebook Poking

[Stacyred]

I was recently poked on facebook by an acquaintance of the opposite sex. I am not sure if i should avoid poking him back because of the sexual connotation that is often associated with poking. Am I overreacting to this seemingly simple and harmless gesture?

 

[kbwall]

Oh, it’s sexual? I just push that button for giggles sometimes. Hehe, whoops, bet I sent some wrong signals to a few people

In any case, yeah, I’d call it an overreaction.

 

[DavidFilmer]

If you were in the same room as this person, and he poked you (in some non-sexual part of your body), how would you react? Would you laugh and poke him back?

Probably not. Unless you want to sexually encourage him. Because, in “real life,” poking someone (who is not a family member) is a sexual gesture.

Would your reaction to this (real) poke be deemed an “over-reaction?” I don’t think so.

Why should our online reactions be any different than our “real” reactions?

Suppose that, tomorrow, Facebook replaced the word “poke” with the word “grope.” Everything else was exactly the same, except for this word. Would you be accused of “overreacting” if you didn’t choose to “grope” someone back? I doubt it.

Suppose, instead, that Facebook replaced the word “poke” with the phrase “gave you a thumbs up.” Would you have any reservations about returning this gesture? I doubt it.

Words mean things. As we “digitize” our lives, we must not loose sight of the meanings of our words. There is a difference between giving someone a thumbs up, and poking him, and groping him. Just because we express these gestures digitally does not mean we do not express them.

This is why I have never “poked” anyone on Facebook, and I have ignored all “pokes.”

 

[JABA]

I was recently poked on facebook by an acquaintance of the opposite sex. I am not sure if i should avoid poking him back because of the sexual connotation that is often associated with poking. Am I overreacting to this seemingly simple and harmless gesture?

No offence, but I find it hilarious how some people associate the most random everyday things with the “sexual” label.

I guess sharpening a pencil, in pencil sharpener is also a big no,no. LOL,

I myself never associated poking on facebook as a sexual gesture. More just as a way to get a friends attention, hey mate or like stated before as a laugh. This is also to the opposite sex.

I would also call it an overreaction.

Although if you still continue to feel yourself that poking is a sexual gesture. I would avoid poking him back.

 

[DaveBj]

What happens when there is a FB poking? I have never poked, nor have I ever been poked. If I want to get someone’s attention, I send him/her a message.

DaveBj

 

[vera_dicere]

Whatever the answer, I think this is just a spammy troll thread - at the very least, a poor attempt at being faectious.

Frankly, if you got a sexual thought from “FB poking” I think you need to pull your mind up out of the gutter.

 

[grndslm]

If you were in the same room as this person, and he poked you (in some non-sexual part of your body), how would you react? Would you laugh and poke him back?

Probably not. Unless you want to sexually encourage him. Because, in “real life,” poking someone (who is not a family member) is a sexual gesture.

Would your reaction to this (real) poke be deemed an “over-reaction?” I don’t think so.

Why should our online reactions be any different than our “real” reactions?

Suppose that, tomorrow, Facebook replaced the word “poke” with the word “grope.” Everything else was exactly the same, except for this word. Would you be accused of “overreacting” if you didn’t choose to “grope” someone back? I doubt it.

Suppose, instead, that Facebook replaced the word “poke” with the phrase “gave you a thumbs up.” Would you have any reservations about returning this gesture? I doubt it.

Words mean things. As we “digitize” our lives, we must not loose sight of the meanings of our words. There is a difference between giving someone a thumbs up, and poking him, and groping him. Just because we express these gestures digitally does not mean we do not express them.

This is why I have never “poked” anyone on Facebook, and I have ignored all “pokes.”

You sound like a real pervert.

I can’t believe you people.

If I’m in a classroom or a business meeting… and one person pokes another person across the room, with their cell phones, OF COURSE… is that any different from silently poking somebody who’s immediately next to you?? Eff no!

Get your minds out of the gutter is absolutely correct!!

Poke is nothing more than a very, very lame & silly game.

Reminds me of the game where you form a circle with your index finger and thumb, and if someone LOOKS at it, while the formed “finger hole” is below your waist… you get to punch the person who looked at your “hole” in the arm… UNLESS the other person manages to “poke” their finger thru your “hole”… then they get to punch YOU in the arm.

As silly as that game is, it sure ain’t lame. It’s entertained me for quite some time now, and I can’t wait to hopefully be a 70 year old guy playing it with a bunch of other people that aren’t thinking about penis and vagina and decide they must then move on to groping me.

 

[Mumbles140]

I’ve always understood a ‘poke’ to be like “Hey. Look at me.” I don’t think it has any innate sexual connotation, but is simply used as a flirtation device to strike up a conversation with someone you don’t know.

Really, the poke function is like online dating for Facebook. You see someone you know through the friend of a friend, think they are cute and interesting, and you want to get to know them better. But rather than send an awkward message, you hit a button to notify them that you are interested. If they ‘poke’ back, then you know they at least have some interest and aren’t holding yourself over the edge of a cliff. If they don’t poke you back, then no harm, no foul.

I don’t think the ‘poker’ meant anything sexual - if you want to get to know this guy better or on a more personal level, either ‘poke’ back or just send him a message.

 

[centurionguard]

I was recently poked on facebook by an acquaintance of the opposite sex. I am not sure if i should avoid poking him back because of the sexual connotation that is often associated with poking. Am I overreacting to this seemingly simple and harmless gesture?

I’m not in anyway a huge or even medium Facebook user.
But if you find continued pokes are a nuisance you can block the sender.

 

[PLeeD]

I was recently poked on facebook by an acquaintance of the opposite sex. I am not sure if i should avoid poking him back because of the sexual connotation that is often associated with poking. Am I overreacting to this seemingly simple and harmless gesture?

I rarely LOL from things posted on forums, but this made me LOL!

If the OP is serious, then she, along with some of you other posters to this thread, need to think seriously about getting a life!

 

[Gift_from_God]

It’s okay

 

[Joe_5859]

Yes, you are overreacting. Oh, and welcome to CAF!

In general, “poking” is the lowest form of FB communication. It’s for those times you don’t want to post something on their wall or even send them a private message.

It seems rather pointless, though. He pokes you. You poke him back. Then he pokes you again. It can turn into one of those perpetual things that cannot be stopped!

 

[musicality]

I wouldn’t read into it too much. People tend to over-analyze electronic gestures that may mean nothing. You are under no obligation to “poke” him back of course!
There’s an incredibly low chance that he’s trying to flirt with you-if that is the case, it’s a pretty poor way to flirt. In any case, you should not be avoiding the poking back because of a possible sexual connotation because there is not an inherent sexual connotation even if there are some facebook groups that say otherwise.

For some reason, all I could think of was childhood antics of “I’m not touching you!”
Enjoy:
youtube.com/watch?v=goWfyT6d8qc