30 Times People Shared Too Much When Literally Nobody Asked Them To (New Pics)

Oversharing is described as an act of “revealing an inappropriate amount of detail about one’s personal life.” It can happen anywhere: at a party, at an office, at a class reunion, where you meet a person who you barely know and haven't got much in common with and you immediately delve into revealing very personal and detailed stories, often without realizing.

The internet is also a place where people feel tempted to overshare. It has become a problem on social media sites, especially ones which encourage you to bare all, like Facebook and Twitter, which ask you questions before you post a status which can invoke oversharing, such as “What’s happening?” or “What’s on your mind?”

According to Carolyn Cole, licensed marriage and family therapist, when people overshare, they are often desiring very much to connect with someone. It turns out that anxiety can be a big driver among people who tell all, as well as feeling lonely and needing to connect with others. What’s more, oversharing is most often an unconscious act. Cole explained that "many times people don’t realize it until after the fact.”

In some cases, however, oversharers become aware of their behavior midway through the conversation. If that happens, they suddenly feel vulnerable or even ashamed for revealing too much information. In other cases, people can be aware of revealing too much the entire time that they are oversharing, but they may not see it as problematic.

Dr. Gary Brown, a relationship therapist in Los Angeles, adds that a person who overshares does not have a good internal censor. “In these cases, they may not have an ability to ‘read’ their audience; typically, they do not have a good sense of boundaries.” Moreover, if someone comes from a family of “talkers” where oversharing is the norm, they may continue acting upon this behavior in their daily lives.

“Or," he continues, "a person may do it out of feeling generally inadequate or if they’re a narcissist—they need to share everything that comes to mind to make sure they’re heard.”