Side Effect of Facebook likes

Facebook has the option to 'like' practically anything.  Photos, a status, a page, a comment, etc.  Not to mention it is so easy to 'like' something.  Tap my finger and I've just stamped my opinion on that picture of your 4 month old pretending to be a dinosaur.  After awhile, the more you like things, the more I feel I need to like more things.  For example:

I post "Happy Birthday ______!!!!" on a friends wall.  The next day I get a notification that he 'liked' my post on his wall.  Sweet, recognition!  Then I get another notification with his response, "Thanks Hailey!"  So, to acknowledge that I received this response, I like his comment.    The sole purpose was so that I didn't have to comment back, but that I could acknowledge what had happened.  Interesting... 

For some reason I feel like I need to 'like' people's comments or photos to validate their feelings or their exciting news.  But when I think about it, it really doesn't mean a whole lot that I 'like' something they said or did.  So maybe I'll make a conscious effort to comment on more things instead of just 'liking' them.  Because what's more personal than a typed out expression and emoticon?!  ;)

Soon enough I will be 'liking' everything, and when I don't  'like' something, everyone will know and I'll feel really bad that I don't 'like' it.  So then maybe I'll 'like' it just to not give myself away that I truly don't 'like' it.  Then everything will be filled with my 'liking.'  It's a dangerous road I tell you.