Social Media for Good: Yes, digital life is real.
Social media has got a bad rap, but we can benefit from online communities.
A few years ago, I took a health psychology course at the University for the People. It was disappointing because the content was mostly about the psychology of being sick instead of using it to maintain well-being. I did enjoy the segment about cultural beliefs on health and illness because anthropology draws me, but the idea was how to induce patients to adhere to the Western allopathic medical system better through psychology and cultural understanding. Throughout the course, it felt like sick people are helpless, a notion that gives all the power to the medical establishment. However, I learned that sharing can be a great healer, explaining why support groups, online and in-person are life-changers. Communal support is a popular aspect of social media. The friend asking for your prayer is not being a downer, and they are finding healing in the connection.
I once saw a college scholarship whose essay topic was how digital experience is ruining life. You don’t have to go looking for bad news because it is just everywhere. If the media reports positive things, that would be real news since violence and sickness are the norms in media coverage. Information we take in is critical for our health, both mental and physical. I make an effort to scroll through pages focused on the positive appreciation and contributions, however, I don’t have a guru. I take elements of programs that work and leave the rest. I like Tony Robbins except for his gender segment that feels too traditional for me. His Facebook group does attract a lot of people desiring to level up in life. Occasionally, the posts seem to be members trawling for new clients and customers, and I block them out. There are some thought-provoking posts, and I have contributed a few things in response to them. Overall, there is a productive exchange happening there.
My favorite podcast is the Happiness Lab, an offshoot of Science of Well Being, a course by Dr. Laurie Santos at Yale on Coursera. It began as one of the most popular Yale courses adopted for the online format. It was free if I didn’t want a certificate, although I paid the nominal amount to support it. The students reach into the meaning of happiness, and it might surprise you to discover the dissonance between what we think we need to be happy and what makes us feel good in reality. There is a section called “rewirement” that serves as practical training. It was a bit mind-blowing because my family never thought feelings and emotions are more than reactions. They serve as guideposts to point us towards a more satisfying life.
On Facebook, I frequent Girls Gone Global knowing my life experience has something to offer to other women as they come up in the world. The group also serves as a forum for women and girls from parts of the world where they can’t speak up and share. Being heard is good for the soul and health.
My favorite social media groups are the communities clustered around national parks and monuments (and cats, but that is for another day.) I look forward to seeing the pictures of flowers, red rock canyons, coastlines, lakes, mountains, and landmarks. I bypass pages and groups that pop up for some reason known only to the algorithm. I hit the Like often to encourage the photos that take me on a mini-vacation for a minute. Digital space can be a little bubble, like she shed, man cave, or they barn (yep, I made that last one up. I couldn’t find the gender-neutral equivalent.)
Digital life is real. It’s a beast that, once tamed, will be your uncomplaining assistant. I still don’t use Alexa on my Kindle, though. I don’t need that much help.
