The Social Aspect of Smule
I’ve been lurking around here and there, occasionally commenting. I was talking with a friend recently about how Smule doesn’t always handle their blocking system the best. She doesn’t really use Smule much because of that, and I don’t either, but for different reasons.
I mostly want to share my experience with the social side of the platform because I’ve noticed several things. So, Smule has some of the most emotionally invested people I’ve ever met, which isn’t always a bad thing. However, I’ve seen so many people react poorly to boundaries and create drama over something that I don’t fully understand. Because of that, there is only one person I’ve met through the app that I consider a friend.
So, I opened an OC. My friend joined, I gave it a like, and I left her a comment. Another person joined, someone who I was in a live with a couple of times. I listened, gave it a like, and I remember I left her a shorter comment, mostly just thanking her for joining. She sent me a DM over Smule saying that “…you clearly didn’t listen to my join. Your comment was low effort compared to [my friend]. I thought we were friends.” Immediate block. Meanwhile, I met this woman *twice at most.* We had an enjoyable time singing together. We are not friends. This situation put me off opening OCs for a while.
My friend does not use Smule much anymore because it drained her. People went off on her because she wasn’t open about her personal life and because, at the time, she was a kind woman in her mid-twenties. She’d get relentlessly pursued romantically, and one of the men who pursued her spread a rumor that she was faking her personality (more simply, faking being nice?). The rumor was heavily disproven with no effort on her part, and the situation was ridiculous.
The concept behind Smule is fantastic. I love the karaoke, and it can be a fun time. However, so many (not all) of the people who use this app are so tiring to be around. It feels like high school, and it gets worse if you join groups. Maybe I’m just venting or screaming this into the void, but I sincerely wish that people knew how to behave.