I read an article yesterday about ways to be "insufferable" on facebook: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/wait-but-why/annoying-facebook-behavior_b_4081038.html
A quick search led me to countless essays that complain about how people behave on social media and the most annoying facebook personalities - the narcissist, the constant status-updater, the shameless self-promoter, the baby-bore...and on it goes. I laughed at some of this because we all have friends who do this, and then I cringed because I would all be lying if I was not sometimes guilty of some of these social media crimes. We can all be insufferable. We can all be judgmental, selfish, self-absorbed, attention-craving braggarts. Absolutely.
However, there is more to Facebook posts and Twitter feeds than that. Although you won't find many essays on them, there are many beautiful things to see, hear, and experience on social media. Here are a few I came up with:
1. Connection. Most of us need connection; we need social interaction to be happy. Sure, we may have added friends that we do not know well, or "friended" those who we barely spoke to in high school, but I know I am not the only one who feels good about connecting with friends I may not have seen in years but who I still care about. It is nice to see pictures of my second cousin's children because she lives in England and it is fun to wish my cousin Happy Birthday and comment on what we are each reading since I live in Canada and she lives in Indonesia and we rarely see each other in person. Having a disability, I am grateful for the several connections I have with others around the world who also have disabilities. We talk and we share all because of social media. These connections make my life happier. Furthermore, it is great to connect with people I meet at events, get to know them better through social media, then possibly further connect in person later on. Beyond friends and acquaintances, we can connect with your community, your interests, and different organizations, which allows you to stay informed, which leads me to number 2.
2. Information. You can learn a lot through social media whether it is a new recipe or a community event you want to attend, you can also see what other people are saying about it. As a country, nay, as an entire planet, think of all we learned from Commander Chris Hadfield's tweets and facebook posts during his recent expedition on the International Space Station! Breaking news, well-written essays, or topics that you can learn about that you were not even previously aware of, social media can be a great source of opportunity, learning, and knowledge.
3. Charity. Some recent studies (for example, http://www.theguardian.com/voluntary-sector-network/2013/sep/26/charity-leaders-social-media-mba) have revealed that 8 out of 10 are more likely to trust and buy from an organization whose CEO and leadership team use social media. By sharing stories and news items, charities can connect with their supporters in new and meaningful ways through social media, and when that happens, deeper bonds are created and maintained. From my own experience of rappelling down a building in The Drop Zone fundraiser for Easter Seals a few years ago, I can say that I generated more donations from online fundraising than any face-to-face asks that I made. Social media, quite frankly, made fundraising beautifully easy.
4. Fun. Don't we all need a little more fun in our lives? Isn't it fun to
have a banter of words with a friend? To post a Halloween pictures? To
pin out-of-the-box creative ideas on out Pinterest boards? To wish our
friends happy birthday and remind them how great they are? Social media
can be entertaining, amusing, light-hearted, and fun.
5. Beauty. I bet you were wondering when I'd get to this. Oh, I know.
There are countless posters and jokes that are insulting and rude out
there. Sure. There are also countless posters, quotes, images, and
"jokes" posted by people who are trying to bring some beauty, positivity,
joy, and light to social media. Just one:
https://www.facebook.com/PositivityLoveAndAllThingsGood?fref=ts
There is no question that social media should not replace face-to-face interaction, checking in with each other on the phone, going out for coffee, and spending quality time together. There is also the question of what content should remain private and what is okay to be public. These questions and many more need to continually be asked because (I have said it before and I will say it again) the Internet is a baby and we are only just beginning to figure out how to live and work with it. We have a lot to learn. But let's take a moment to quit complaining about it and the people who use it, and instead reflect on the beauty it brings to our lives.
wishing you fewer complaints and more beautiful stuff,
hk
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