Why I Love Social Media
Many think technology and our "addiction" to social media makes us less human and less connected. On the contrary, technology is what made us human, and it continues to do so today.
Today on this lazy Saturday morning, after a wonderful round of snuggling with my wife and youngest daughter, I lounged in bed with my phone checking my social media feeds. Here's what I experienced:
Live Feed of Women Marching in Nashville
A friend of mine was live streaming for the first time using Facebook. I got to see in real time how many people are downtown right now raising awareness for the proper treatment of women. Though I may not agree with this as the most effective form of activism, it was wonderful to see so many people together and interact in real time with my friend who was mainly there for the people watching. It was a fun experience and a valuable connection to someone I know online and see rarely at local meetup events. It was a real human experience shared via technology, and I'm so thankful for it!
Standing up to Sexual Harassment
Another friend of mine shared a very personal story of being "followed and sexually harassed by a guy at the train station." As devastating as this was to hear (she's doing okay, based on follow up comments), her response to this prick was awesome! She called out the abuser in front of everyone and was a true hero. The guy left her alone after that. In my opinion, she did more on that train to prevent future victims and correct asshole behavior than any number of marches. Here's the comment I left her:
I'm so sorry you experienced this. I can't imagine what that must feel like. It's literally beyond my ability to consider the constant stress of this potential abuse at any moment. I'm so very sorry.At the same time, I'm so very proud of you! By speaking out, you are normalizing and promoting the power women have to stand up to these assholes. Social shaming, ostracizing, and (if required) defensive force shows these people their actions will not be tolerated. I'm hopeful you've saved many other women from this abuser as he now knows some women will stand up, fight back, and expose them to everyone. You are powerful, and you're showing it. I hope for a world where that power won't be needed in that way, but for now I'm thankful to see it expressed.
Our Unicorn Shirts Bringing Joy to the World
A spouse of someone I know through the conferences we sponsor shared this awesome picture of our FoxyCart t-shirts:
She snagged one from her husband and was clearly super stoked to wear it. That brought me so much joy to see, and we have never even met before! How cool is that! Here's the short conversation we had:
Recovering from Cancer, Brain Surgery, and Chemo LIKE A BEAST!
I also watched a short video of a friend of mine doing pull ups. No big deal, you might say, but what I saw filled me with joy, thankfulness, and hope. He spent 15 days in the hospital, underwent 3 MRIs and 2 brain surgeries, 6 weeks of radiation, and 4 cycles of chemo (he has more to go). This was his first workout in 7 months. And he was KILLING IT like a beast. His video helped me experience that moment with him, to share in that triumph and that hope for the future. I can't properly express in words how powerful and meaningful this is to me.
Social media is not the enemy to humanity. Like many things, it's a powerful tool which can be used for good or for evil. It can empower us or enslave us. The important thing, for me, is to use these tools (and all of technology) for increasing our wellbeing and enhancing our lives for the better. Social media can extend, enhance, and build very real relationships. Instead of a lazy morning by myself, I got to experience a wide range of powerful emotions while connecting with people and things I care about.
This is powerful.
This is wonderful.
This is a good thing.
What do you think of social media?
Previous #journal entries: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
I have a love/hate relationship with social media. On the one hand I like the connection and the ability to occasionally have my turn on the soap box. I can signal my agreement with the hive consensus and be patted on the back. Connection is a good thing. We all need social alliances.
On the other hand it is a game of popularity and group think which very closely mimics women's social relationships. For that reason it is not very welcoming of aggressive and dominating behavior. The forcefulness of the male character is a disadvantage in this environment, tending to be ostracized and shunned.
It can overemphasize the importance of external validation as a requisite for self esteem. Internal validation should be the primary source of self worth and that doesn't require a social network.
We see that play out in the way people react to not getting the votes/likes/retweets they think they deserve. It is taken as a personal affront, when in fact it should never be a measure of a persons worth. Seeking that external validation has become an addiction for some.
Great comment, thank you @seablue.
I haven't experienced the same negativity to the "forcefulness of the male character" that you're describing, so I'm not really sure what you mean there. I think the experiences we have online are directly related to the communities we join. If your community is different than mine, you'll have a different experience than I do.
I completely agree regarding the concerns about external validation and expectations. I've written about this a couple times here and here.
Yes, social media is a tool and it's our use of it that is important, but there is the whole McLuhan thing to take into consideration - The Media is the Message - which argues that the container of communication effects the content. So that Neil Postman (perhaps it was him) said something like the content of social media is the connectivity itself. Which I think is a pity. Of course it is then up to the individual user to rise above it, but this is difficult when it is so easy to remain a passive comsumer. And this is why Steemit appears to be different, in one way or another there is a complusion to take part in the conversation.
That's a great point.
The impact of the rewards and our connectivity is very real.
I have gone right off Facebook, couldn't handle anymore animal abuse posts, stopped popping just staying with steemit where I get the choice what I want to read :)
Makes sense, but I also think social media is what we make of it. Who we follow determines the quality of our experience there. Then again, both Twitter and Facebook have some interesting algorithms they use to push specific content. I think, in my case, I've trained "my" Facebook algorithm to know what I like. If this morning is evidence of that, I'll take it. :)
I can't stop friends posting these posts, I know its so we can catch the culprit but sometimes the picture/video is so graphic I end up in tears. I know this goes on just don't need it in my face everyday :)
Completely understand. Sometimes "friends" need to be unfriended or their posts need to be hidden from your feed. Taking control of your inputs is a powerfully important way of controlling your life.
Staying away from Facebook is my way, I was never a big user to start with, never posted status's, kept myself to myself, mostly kept it for family :)
Good for you, its not the superficial process of interaction that is the problem with social media, it is the monitoring and conditioning of its users. Do users train their algorithm, or have they been trained by the algorithm?
Korean POWs were given the choice to write essays which were assessed and the best ones rewarded. However only the anti-USA and pro Korean essays were rewarded. Therefore the POWs would write such essays, they returned with very anti-USA sentiment because they had literally changed their minds.
@louisbettong or maybe it was because the USA sent them to war which landed them in a prison camp cage? Just another angle to consider. ;-)
Those are prime examples of the power that social media can bring. Unfortunately, with all the good, there's also the polar opposite. Everything comes with caveats, but a wise man * cough * ( :D ) once told me, it boils down to how you look at it and what you consider as important.
Thanks Jed. As I've posted about before, our expectations impact us in very powerful ways. For me, the interactions mentioned here were a wonderful gift to be celebrated. For those who experience negativity via social media, hopefully they can find the root cause and work through that. It's my opinion the technology just amplifies things. It can amplify joy or depression (among many other emotions).
Thanks for commenting.
True that. Maybe you could do a lecture series about that. Who knows, it might catch on and change a lot of lives. My expectations surely changed, so that's already a testament to its effectiveness.
I've discovered that comments are a powerful thing, that's why I try my best to leave one in every post that I enjoyed reading.