Ah, social media. We either love it or hate it – but thing is for sure…It’s not going away anytime soon. Social media has become a tool of connection – we can now instantly access each other at the click of a button. But with online trolls and harassers…is this necessarily a good thing? Coming into contact with abusive words and people online is almost a right of passage for social media users, sadly. But don’t worry – because we’ve got some tips on how to deal with negativity on social media!
We don’t always have to comment on what we don’t like. We’d like to believe that people can handle opinions that differ than their own, but as we see on sites like Facebook and Twitter, that’s not always the case. What might’ve started off as us just saying we don’t like Katy Perry’s music can easily turn into a 9 person argument with slurs being thrown around. While it’s liberating to express ourselves, we have to pause and think – what is commenting negatively on someone else’s post about something they love going to do? Learning that negative opinions don’t need to always be said is an easy, preventative way to avoid negativity on social media.
Honestly, though – sometimes a break is needed from social media. We so wrapped up in the online world that the we become desensitized to not only what others say, but to what we say, too. Sometimes, the best thing WE can do is avoid social media altogether. It’s important for us to take a breather and refresh ourselves so we’re more available to focus on what’s really important in life. Social media? It’s not that serious.
Since the rise of social media, many platforms have created systems where users can block people they don’t like – use this tool! Blocking people we feel will eventually cause us distress, or people who currently are, is probably the easiest way to avoid negativity on social media. The best part? We don’t have to justify why we blocked somebody to anyone but ourselves. Another, less aggressive option is unfollowing/unfriending someone. If we have a “friend” who is habitually posting things that get us riled up, we can fix that by simply unfriending or unfollowing them.
But why do we spend so much time focusing on what we don’t like, when we can just as easily focus on what we do like? A lot of the negative spewing that shows up on social media is about something someone (yes, even us) finds offensive, wrong or are outraged about. Let’s stop posting about things we dislike. Instead, we need to do the opposite. The best antidote for negativity is positivity. Let’s start sharing the happy things in our lives!
Social media is a powerful tool. While this generation is the one who cultivated it, following generations will most likely continues to use it (maybe even more as it evolves!). But that just makes it even more important that we learn how to get the best out of it – because it shouldn’t be something that impacts our lives negatively. Social media is what we make it. Don’t get infected with negativity. We can stop the spread of it by avoiding online arguments and hatred. Share doses of positive, funny, light-hearted and loving messages. Be the good on social media.
You might also enjoy reading: How To Change Bad Habits
If you found that this post brought some kind of value into your life, make sure you share it with your friends on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram or just shoot an email to a friend and let them know you enjoyed this specific post. Encourage them to join the #SheBecameFearless community.
One more thing! Remember… go out there and be Fearless! No matter what you set your mind to, YOU CAN DO IT! Did you download my free e-book yet? I know that you’ll love it!
Much love,
Rayven – Team #SheBecameFearless