3 Keys to a Healthy Social (Media) Life

1. EVERYTHING IN MODERATION
   Any technology that is tied so fundamentally to the way people communicate is bound to attract criticism and concern, much of which is valid. But if we’ve learned anything from human history, it must be the fact that nearly every tool available to us can be used for good or for evil.

Suspicion of new modes of communication goes back at least as far as the fourth or fifth century BCE. In his dialogue between Socrates and his friend Phaedrus, Plato has Socrates recounting an Egyptian fable to highlight the dangers of—wait for it—writing.

1. BEWARE IF YOU DARE TO COMPARE
   It’s a natural human tendency to check out the grass on the other side of the fence to see whether it’s greener (or browner) than our own. And in the age of social media, we can see over quite a few more fences than we ever could before. This may or may not be a problem, depending on how we process our observations. If we’re a bit short in the self-esteem department, we might tend to focus on how much better everyone else on social media seems to be doing and then sink deeper into self-loathing. These are the mechanisms that prompt headlines linking social media use with anxiety, depression and low self-esteem.

2. EXERCISE YOUR EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE ONLINE AS YOU (HOPEFULLY) WOULD OFFLINE
   Just as much as in person, most people want to put their best foot forward on social media, and this is where emotional intelligence comes in. But what is “emotional intelligence”? Essentially, it’s that sweet spot where self-awareness and awareness of others combine with mindful compassion and self-control. The timeless principles that fall under the heading of emotional intelligence include such gems as “Love your neighbor as yourself” and “A soft answer turns away wrath.”