If you use social media at all, you're well aware that there are plenty of ways you should not behave. However, we don't often see behavior that's worth repeating.
But you know what it would be nice to see more of on social media? A little "thank you" every once in a while. That would just make the often hostile Internet such a better place.
Now Facebook is encouraging its users to show a little gratitude every once in a while. The social network announced its "Say Thanks" experience on Nov. 12, which allows users to send personalized video cards to their friends. You should now play this video in the background as you continue to read this post. I've had this song in my head since I heard about this news, and it should be in yours, too. It should be in all of our heads. Always.
To create a video, you just head over to facebook.com/thanks. This page was down at the time of this writing, but when it comes back up again, you can choose which of your lucky friends you want to send a "Thank You" video to, and Facebook will create a video for you. You can then edit the theme, photos and posts that appear in the video. Once you think you've said all you needed to say, you can write a truly heartfelt message to go along with the video, which then gets posted on your timeline and tags your friend to whom it is addressed. That's not embarrassing at all.
The video below demonstrates what your "Thank You" video might look like. It's got a very similar look and feel to those "Look Back" videos all of your friends shared at the end of last year. Just as those provided a sentimental retrospective of your life on Facebook, these "Thank You" videos track your interactions on the social network with the person you're thanking. Though Facebook says you can share a video "with a close friend, your significant other, a relative, a coworker, an old friend — or anyone else in your life who you'd like to celebrate," it seems to me that you would have to have at least some public communication with the person on Facebook to make a decent video.
With Thanksgiving just two weeks away in the U.S., this is obviously a very smart and appropriate time for Facebook to roll out this promotion. However, the creators of "Say Thanks," design manager Cameron Ewing and engineer manager Nick Kwiatek, told Re/code that the videos aren't Thanksgiving-specific and will most likely be around after the holiday. Saying "Thank You" isn't seasonal, after all.
Image: Facebook
