9 Things Social Media Teaches You About Life
9 Things Social Media Teaches You About Life
Social media is life for many people.
But for those of us who have things to do in the real world, it can also teach you a lot about life, too.
To pick up the lessons that social media has to teach, you need to be a student of the platforms.
And you have to avoid getting dragged into them emotionally. Instead, it requires taking a step back and just observing them and using them to learn about the human condition.
The First Thing Social Media Teaches You about Life… Everyone Has Feelings And Emotions
First, social media has a powerful ability to teach you that everyone has feelings and emotions. That’s because everyone seems to have strong views about just about everything.
When they are at their computers and devices, people seem more comfortable with expressing themselves than when they are around people in real life. Perhaps it’s because they feel distant.
There are, of course, both positives and negatives to this. The positive is that people are being more expressive than they would usually be.
They feel okay being themselves in an online environment. The negative is that it can bring out some of the emotions that you don’t want in others, such as cruelty or rage.
The Fear Of Missing Out Is Real
Social media also reveals that the fear of missing out is also real. Most people do feel bad when someone else is having fun, but they’re not.
In fact, social media is probably a major driver of this phenomenon. It taught people collectively to feel bad wherever someone is doing something in the world, and they’re not.
Facebook, for instance, is dreadful for this. Many people log on, see their ex-classmates enjoying their fantastic lives, and then wonder what they got wrong about their own.
They watch others go on vacation, live incredible careers, and influence thousands of other people online. Then they worry that they aren’t doing enough with their own lives. It’s a tragedy.
The Third Thing Social Media Teaches You about Life… You Can’t Keep Anything Private Online
Social media was very much the end of privacy.
If the government had set up these sites in the early 2000s and demanded that everyone join them, then there would have been a revolution.
But because it is private companies, and individuals are doing it voluntarily, there’s no resistance.
There is, of course, a cost, though. Nothing is private. You can’t keep anything a secret.
If there’s something you don’t want other people to know, be wise about when, how, and where you share it.
People Can Be Judgemental
Like it or not, people are judgemental.
They come to conclusions about each other all the time, sometimes in the nastiest ways.
“Let he who is without sin cast the first stone,” is a famous phrase that Jesus used in the Gospels.
But it is something that we seem to forget in the modern world. We expect other people to conduct themselves in a perfectly moral manner, forgetting that we don’t do that ourselves.
The evidence of judgment is all over social media, particularly on platforms like Twitter. You can see how angry and upset people are with each other because of the way they speak to one another online.
It’s a level of vitriol that was hard to find before these platforms made it public.
A Fifth Thing Social Media Teaches You about Life… You’re Not The Only One
Considering yourself to be unique is much more challenging once you start using social media.
When people lived in small groups, it was easy to see that they were the only ones.
But today, that’s less realistic. If there’s something you’re into, there’s also someone out there who’s into it, too.
There’s Kindness Everywhere
Watching endless TikTok videos, you soon discover something interesting: there’s a lot of kindness in strangers.
People do care about each other when they are not in a judgemental frame of mind. If someone needs help, most people will offer it.
This aspect of human behavior is interesting and unexpected. You wouldn’t think that kindness would be so common, but you can find it all over the place on social media if you know where to look.
What’s interesting is that a lot of people want to care about others. They feel terrible watching suffering in the world and see themselves as people who can do something about it.
Indeed, there is goodness out there, and sometimes social media brings it to life.
A Seventh Thing Social Media Teaches You about Life… Friends Are Friends, Whether Online Or In Real Life
Social media also teaches you something valuable about the nature of human relationships: friends are friends wherever you interact with them. They’re incredibly important to have around.
What’s interesting is that friendship isn’t a linear function of how much time you spend with them.
Instead, it comes down to the quality of the relationship you have. You might only talk to them once a month, but you know that they’re on your side.
You Don’t Have To Fight Every Battle
If you want to fight battles, you have the chance to do so all day, every day, on social media. But why would you want that? Battles on social media often become about pitching your ego against someone else’s. It devolves into a matter of just “being right.”
That’s why it is so important to choose your battles wisely when you are on social media. If there’s something important, then sure, pick a fight. But if it’s something that a minor person has said, then let it go.
Remember, the likelihood of having a healthy debate on social media is exceptionally small.
People don’t argue to learn anything. Instead, they do it to “win” and get their point across.
A Final Thing Social Media Teaches You about Life… Being Happy Is Okay
Lastly, social media teaches you that it’s okay to be happy.
You don’t have to share every bad moment of life online. Instead, you can promote a little joy.
Happiness is contagious. If one person is happy, then many other people are likely to feel the same way, too.
Were you encouraged by what you read?
Then, would you share this article with a friend, co-worker, or family member?
Or, maybe you can send it to a friend or family member?
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