Is it socially acceptable to tell my friends about a new car ?

July 28, 2013 10:56 PM

I just bought a new car and was wondering whether it would be tacky to put up a picture of it on Twitter/FB or a blog.
posted by touareg to Human Relations (35 answers total)

Why not? It's a big part of your life, and if its a cool car why not show it off?
posted by Charlemagne In Sweatpants at 11:01 PM on July 28, 2013 [3 favorites]

If other people can bang on about their baby/houses/holidays, I can't see why a one off pic about a purchase you're excited about is tacky. FB is about sharing things that happen in your life, it just so happens that this is a really good moment!
posted by Jubey at 11:03 PM on July 28, 2013 [4 favorites]

That depends on your audiences for those three channels, how much they overlap and whether you've established content expectations (especially for the blog) that might conflict. The key, IMHO, is the caption... For FB and Twitter, something like "my new baby" that's light and a little self deprecating works well. Save details for answering specific questions that arise in the comments.
posted by carmicha at 11:05 PM on July 28, 2013

It's all about context.

Acceptable: General post about how much you like your car, with a few pictures you took
Rude: Posts every day for a month about your car's features and how much you paid for them

Acceptable: Showing your new car to your friend who asks about it
Rude: Bragging about your car to a friend who is having a difficult time with money lately
posted by Old Man McKay at 11:07 PM on July 28, 2013 [18 favorites]

I'd probably avoid talking explicitly about price, but sure, why not? I use a photostream, not Facebook (so everyone who looks at my pictures presumably wants to see them), and I just posted a series of photos about my new dishwasher...and as I recall, I posted pictures of the new car when it was new. People who are interested in the minutiae of your life (and isn't that the point of Facebook and Twitter?) will like the pictures, and everyone else will just ignore it.
posted by leahwrenn at 11:18 PM on July 28, 2013 [1 favorite]

Some friends of mine recently got a new car. They put a picture of it on facebook. I was glad - the new car was a long time coming, and much needed.
posted by Sara C. at 11:25 PM on July 28, 2013 [2 favorites]

Interesting question.

Is it 'socially acceptable'? Yeah, sure. I think so. Would I do it? No. Will most people think badly of you if you do it? No.

In all honesty, I think the bar for being socially acceptable on FB is set pretty low. Posting photos of anything you just bought is at least mildly braggy, and I personally am uncomfortable with it. However, given that many, many people are outrageously braggy on FB, I think you're fine.
posted by Salamander at 12:02 AM on July 29, 2013 [7 favorites]

Don't take a boring photo of it sitting in the driveway. It needs a context like "packing the car for the trip to the beach".
posted by bhnyc at 1:00 AM on July 29, 2013 [1 favorite]

It depends how you talk about it and what it is. Some cars will automatically make you look like you are making a lifestyle statement and boasting. Others will not. Referring to something generically nice about your new car fits most people's experiences. Positioning your statement in such a way as to invite judgment will... invite judgment.

For example:

"Check out my shiny new Porsche" - probably not going to win you friends
"Love the new car smell in my Camry" - unlikely to look like showing off
"My new alloy wheels are sick" - polite bemusement at whatever makes you happy
posted by MuffinMan at 1:43 AM on July 29, 2013 [4 favorites]

Eh, I wouldn't think you were rude or bragging. Folks share their new outfit/car/job/home/baby all the time.

However, be prepared for the fact that 99.9% of your friends won't care.
posted by dumdidumdum at 1:53 AM on July 29, 2013 [6 favorites]

Hell, I put a picture of my new Wok on facebook.. Go for it!
posted by HuronBob at 2:25 AM on July 29, 2013 [18 favorites]

Unless your friends are aggressively anti-consumerism or something (I'm actually more curious why you seem to feel need to even ask this.), reactions will most likely range from non-response to polite not-really-necessary congratulations.

There's no particular reason for you to post about it but neither is there some social stigma against. It's a large purchase, and depending upon your own money/credit/whatever situation might even be a bit of an accomplishment. If it's important enough to you that you want to bring it up, you're allowed to and your friends should be understanding of that, or at least understanding enough to keep their mouths shut.

If you're worried about it being some kind of "display of money" thing, you've probably trudged through hundreds of baby pictures at some point. Have you seen what it costs to have a baby? Same for people casually mentioning their trips, restaurant visits, etc.
posted by Su at 2:45 AM on July 29, 2013 [2 favorites]

As a data point: I went to check out the FB page of a new guy I was dating, and one of the first things I saw was a pic of the new car he'd just bought. I did give a tiny, involuntary cringe inside.

I don't think cars remotely equate to babies. Babies are an addition to someone's family. Cars are things someone bought. No comparison. (JMO. And I don't have kids.)
posted by Salamander at 2:51 AM on July 29, 2013 [2 favorites]

I've seen car pictures on FB, and I usually say congrats. If it makes my friends happy, I am happy for them. Don't over think it- post what you want on your Facebook, if somebody hates you that much they can always hide you from the Newsfeed.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 2:54 AM on July 29, 2013

Unless you are using Facebook and Twitter primarily for business, this is exactly what social media are for. Get a picture of you standing next to your car and post "I got a new car!" and be done with it.
posted by plastic_animals at 4:17 AM on July 29, 2013 [3 favorites]

I'd say it depends on your facebook social circle. If you've previously used social media for, say, professional links, then posting "I've got a new car!" won't fit. If you use social media for your friends, then yes --- and as long as you aren't bragging ("look how much I paid!" as opposed to "shiny new car!"), I've got to say I'd personally FAR rather look at a couple pictures of your new car than somebody who feels the need to post every. single. meal they eat.
posted by easily confused at 4:19 AM on July 29, 2013

I'm only halfway serious, but if you didn't make the car yourself, and you're taking a picture of your car for social media, then you're bragging about your car on social media. Social media is supposed to be about you.
posted by oceanjesse at 4:44 AM on July 29, 2013 [2 favorites]

This question is amazingly close to my life.... for some unknown reason, I am unable to say anything about myself that may possibly make anyone else feel "less-than". So there is very little record of my existence online: mainly pics of the kitties. I'm always happy, though, to see pics of friends stuff.

Post about the car already! Be happy and go forward!
posted by mightshould at 5:11 AM on July 29, 2013

Are many of your friends poorer than you and do they resent your material success? If so, the post may not be well received. Otherwise, I say go for it.
posted by Area Man at 5:38 AM on July 29, 2013

I think this is a totally common thing that people do, but I'm from L.A. so I wouldn't blink if you created a FB page for your car.
posted by Room 641-A at 5:48 AM on July 29, 2013 [2 favorites]

This is obviously a YMMV situation. I'm a car guy and I love to talk to people about cars. I'm just as happy to talk to my friends about why they picked a particular minivan or subcompact or Porsche. I always think its cool when a friend puts up a picture of their new ride.
posted by Lame_username at 5:54 AM on July 29, 2013 [1 favorite]

I did a few years ago with the comment "Unexpectedly brought a [type of non-luxury car] today. Oops!" and my friends were amused (e.g., "just jumped in your shopping cart, did it?").
posted by bluesapphires at 5:56 AM on July 29, 2013

I sent out an obituary when my old old car died, and I definitely considered introducing my new old car to my friends and family with a picture and announcement. But I decided to wait and just let them meet it in person and perhaps drive it.
So here's another vote for not even blinking at a car pic, unless you bought according to your user name...
posted by Cold Lurkey at 6:11 AM on July 29, 2013 [1 favorite]

It depends on so much, but particularly on the car. Are we talking about a Volkswagen or a Lamborghini?
posted by payoto at 6:38 AM on July 29, 2013

Husbunny and I both got new cars last month. He was very excited because he got a Fit and he thinks it's really cool, plus it's amusing because he's 6' tall and the Fit is kind of tiny, so there's that. Our other friends have a Fit or other gas saving cars and he used to have an Element. So they can all have that "What's the MPG?" conversation.

So he put some pics on Facebook and our friends asked questions about it, etc.

I got a Civic. Frankly, I love it and stuff, but it's just a car. A grocery getter. I did not feel the need to put a picture up.

So unless your car is weird or wonderful, I wouldn't bother.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 6:39 AM on July 29, 2013

Go for it. It wouldn't lead to an auto-hide like baby pictures do.
posted by asperity at 7:41 AM on July 29, 2013

I posted a picture of my OLD car once. Many pictures. It had been completely smashed by a tree. I did not bother posting pictures of my new car because it was a Hyundai and had no intrinsic interest like a smashed up car would.

I say, if it is important to you, post it. People will care if it is interesting, like if it is a flashy car (I don't know, I don't do cars. I have a Hyundai). People will not be offended.
posted by chainsofreedom at 7:49 AM on July 29, 2013

It is a Good Thing to be able to purchase a car. If your friends are anti-car or anti-spending money they'll scroll by. If they comment snippily, then it tells you something about your friends.

Congratulations!
posted by kimberussell at 8:10 AM on July 29, 2013

I posted a picture of my OLD car once. Many pictures. It had been completely smashed by a tree. I did not bother posting pictures of my new car because it was a Hyundai and had no intrinsic interest like a smashed up car would.

Me too. (Except mine is a Honda, and I did once tweet a pic of it, but only b/c it was covered by a foot+ of snow and it looked funny.) However, everyone who saw the new car in person was like "Yay! Cute car!!" And I was like "I know but I'll be broke forever and FEMA hates me and I'm stressed." And they were like "But...cute car!!" So what I learned from that is, people just really like admiring new cars. So I say post it.
posted by DestinationUnknown at 8:59 AM on July 29, 2013

A neighbor ran into our old car and killed it dead, so dead that the neighbor's insurance called it a total, so I posted an obit picture plus another when it was towed away (*sniff*). I posted one pic of the new car when we got it and that was it. This would be expected behavior in my social media circles.
posted by Lynsey at 9:14 AM on July 29, 2013

Since none of us are familiar with your friends/blog readers/whatnot, this question seems a little hard to answer. That said, I like cars okay, so I'd probably like to see a picture of somebody's car (unless they named it--that shit kinda weirds me out). As others have noted, it might be a little jarring if something like a photo of a car is very out of the ordinary for your blog/peer group/social-media strategy/etc.

Did you buy a Touareg?
posted by box at 11:43 AM on July 29, 2013

I post pictures of my car all the time, but it was a huge project to find it, get it running, etc; so most of my friends had to listen to me go on and on about it during that process - the pictures (and rides!) are their 'reward' for putting up with me and my car-nerdery.
posted by girlalex at 11:54 AM on July 29, 2013

I would go ahead and post something, but be conscious of how you deliver it (which it sounds like you already are).

Absolute best case scenario (to me), you can say something that includes/benefits your friends like: With all the extra space in my new Taureg, looks like camping trips this fall are going to be awesome! And then tag some close friends who you'd go camping with, or something.
posted by redsparkler at 12:41 PM on July 29, 2013

Response by poster: Not a Touareg, it was inspired from the nomads :)

I got a luxury car so I'm just trying to be conscious of not coming off as a prick. It's my first car -- was thinking of something like a joke or something.
posted by touareg at 12:54 PM on July 29, 2013

There you go! If it's your first car, you've got even more permission to post about it. That's a pretty big deal!
posted by redsparkler at 2:17 PM on July 29, 2013