A Blessing or a Curse

Social Media … a blessing or a curse?

I’m old enough to remember a time when the only way to communicate with far away friends and relatives to either call them via long distance phone calls or write them letters. These days, however, I can speak to family and friends, see pictures of them and their children, and continue our bonds of friendship over the miles. That’s the blessing part.

Here’s the curse

Every coin has two sides, and unfortunately we also see the dark side of social media. Unwanted comments are posted to your site. Sometimes vile, and often not wanted. It’s a wonder: why do strangers feel they are invited to share judgement on you?

It’s not only you. Pictures of your kids. Thoughts and opinions. And if you haven’t experienced a Nigerian prince who wants to share his inheritance with you, all you need to do is wait. It’s coming your way.

What should we do?

Do we bail off social media completely? Do we go back to writing letters and phone calls? Not necessarily. Going forward, it may take some effort, but it’s best to learn boundaries. Be careful who we allow into our world.

Protecting our heart is as important as protecting our home. We lock our doors … let’s be cognoscente of who we allow on our sites. If friends don’t respect our boundaries, we have the right to push back.

Not long ago a dear friend began posting items on her site items that I found rather offensive. I could’ve jumped in and offered my opinion, but instead, I just stepped back and stopped following her.

Embrace being different

If we want folks to respect us, They need to respect ourselves. Boundaries don’t have to be set with shouting and foot-stomping. Respecting yourself can be done quietly with a simple, “No thanks. I don’t want to play along.”

Respecting yourself can be done quietly with a simple, “No thanks. I don’t want to play along.”

Don’t be discouraged

Remember the friend I told you about? She asked my why I stopped following her, and because I didn’t make a big fuss about it, I was able to talk with her and explain my actions. I  shared the why’s and what-for’s on how her words hurt me. I shared that I realized she didn’t set out to hurt me–after all, we’re friends–but I needed go step back from her because I was still effected.

Why am I bringing this up?

The reason I bring this up is because political posts are coming on strong. Conservative or liberal used to have great conversation starters. Now, opinions separate us …  smart vs. ignorant … victor or victims.

Here’s the thing: believe what you need to believe. Each of our experiences shape who we are and contribute to our makeup. If I had the same experiences as the friend I described, I might feel the same way she does. Spreading grace goes farther than spreading ugliness.

We have six months for differences to flourish in this election season. It’s my goal to make sure these window of time is limited with disputes and heartache.

Back to social media

Does social media play well with politics? It depends if you respect yourself and others. But it’s easy to let it divide friends. It’s okay if you need to unfriend a few people for a season, but do it quietly. Guard your heart. The damage or caustic social media confrontations isn’t worth what you gain.

Does social media play well with politics? It depends if you respect yourself and others. Share on X

What say you?

What do you wonder about?  Are you happy … or are you doing what you never thought you’d do? Do you see consistencies … or are you all over the place? Drop me a line. I’d love to chat.

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