Being on social media
nowadays reminds me of the school yard playground when I was a kid. Pretty much
everything went unnoticed by the monitors unless a fight broke out or someone
ended up taking a spill off the jungle gym.
To survive, you had to
learn to look out for yourself. Dust yourself off and keep walking.
Why are we so attracted
to this medium? Is it for entertainment
and news, to keep up with friends and family, to build a brand and sell a
product, or has it become so much a part of our culture we cannot look away?
Whatever the reason, you
have several options in order to survive the social media playground. You can play
it safe; you can read and not post or respond. You can choose what you read,
deleting posts you find offensive. You
can unfriend and block “friends,” especially those who continually criticize
and taunt you, thereby keeping only those who agree with you.
Or you could jump into
the fray. You can post or respond, but remember once you do, you make yourself
visible to the schoolyard bullies. You might have to defend yourself, especially if the topic is controversial.
Before you do, let me
suggest a few things.
1. Read the whole post, not just what shows on
the feed, but click on the link and read the whole post, all the way to the
end. Follow it to its origin, even if it takes you to the Internet. Double and
trip check its sources. Sometimes the thumbnail that was posted on social media
is incorrect and intentionally malicious.
2. Learn
which news sources and “fact checkers” are reliable and trustworthy. Examine their facts and sources. Be skeptical of those who rush to be first to
report and post “news” before sources and facts have been double checked. News on social media nowadays is a mix
between scandal rag and propaganda, so don’t trust it without checking it for
yourself first.
3. Know
yourself. You don’t have to confess it on social media but know what will
trigger you into a response before tempering your words. Admit your biases and
prejudices. Admit that your religious, political, and personal experiences
affect how you “see” and feel things. Take a breather before responding.
4. Weigh
your words. Attack the policy or the statement and NOT the person. Keep to the
high road, though they probably won’t. In that case, do not get into an
argument with them. Ignore them or delete them. Everyone has an opinion on
social media and they are not here to listen to someone else’s.
5. Learn
to distinguish fact from opinion, emotionally charged words, politically
incorrect and hurtful words, and NEVER resort to name calling.
6. Remember
that facts can easily become gossip, gossip becomes rumor, and rumor leads to
slander and libel. Repeated enough times, lies morph into “facts,” so don’t
fall for the trap of spreading gossip or rumors because it feeds into your
narrative.
Remember, in the famous
words of Pat Benatar (ending with levity here), “Love is a Battlefield;” so is
social media. It can get really ugly out
there if you chose to take a chance in its playground, so defend yourself with
the truth.
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