The Case for Hashtags

Since it's my Birthday Week, it is my God-given right to do whatever I want this week--including taking up unpopular positions.

Today: I advocate for the meaningless #hashtag.

Hey there, pretty!

I'm not talking about your Twitter trending topic hashtags; I'm talking the meaningless hashtags that round out your Facebook Status, a text to your buddy, or the letter to your grandma. Yeah, that hashtag.

I'm here to say: I love it. And, you should thinking about changing your mind.

First off, I'll say, I understand there is no utility for using a hashtag in any case other than on Twitter. It doesn't link up to anything. It doesn't cause anything to trend.  Blahdy blahdy social media blahdy blah.

But, what does it do? It has the possibility to say a million things, in a word or phrase. It has the on-screen effect of the eye-roll. It has the ability to make you laugh, or get so unbelievably mad you want to scream, "NO BACK TALK," right back at it.

There are basically three categories of hashtags (I'm allowed to make inferences like this because I have declared myself Queen of Meaningless Hashtags--it's my Birthday Week):

1. The regulars. This hashtag is common, it's These are the #fail, #epic, #winning, #BieberMeetsGaGa hashtags.  Watch this: "Forgot to go into work today. Too busy reading Hunger Games #winning." Or watch this: "Forgot to go into work today. Too busy reading Twilight #epicfail." See how awesome that is? Yeah, I know!
2. Why didn't you just write that as a sentence? You've seen these. They look something like this: "Spilled my entire coffee down the front of me on the way to work. #whydoesanyoneletmeoutofmycage. 
3. The awesome ones. My all time favorite HT inspired by 'real' life? #meatballproblems. Look it up. These hashtags have the ability to turn an everyday common status/text/telegram into the extraordinary catagory. I mean seriously.  "Just saw a 'No Smoking' sign on my cigarette break. #suckitAlanis"

The hashtag is the social media equivalent of the rhetorical question. It totally annoys most people, but is the best way to get your point across.

I dare you to hashtag in your next Text...
It's invigorating.

So, hashtag on, people.