Social media is a great tool for communicating with other people. Used well, it can support businesses, help families keep in touch, and allow people to connect with each other all over the world.
But it also shows us there are some really horrible human beings out there. Reading through comments on news stories on Facebook (because many media organisations can no longer keep up with moderating comments on their own sites) makes me despair for our future. The jokes made about other people’s tragedies, the victim blaming, the casual and blatant sexist and racist lines, the complete lack of empathy, compassion and other basic human emotions leave me wondering whether I’ve slipped into a parallel universe.
There are two options – we can abandon social media, and let it devolve into a completely rancid cesspit, or we can lead by example and do our bit to make it a better place.
I was part of a recent example of this. Amidst the endless political posts debating the United States and Donald Trump, up popped a post with a beautiful painting, and an invitation to share art on Facebook to provide a balance. Anyone who liked the post was assigned an artist and asked to find and share an example of their work. I did that, and had a great response. A number of those who liked my post tagged me back in their art sharing, so my newsfeed filled up with some lovely works and artists I didn’t know. It was an inspiring counterpoint to the political dramas.
Last week, thanks to a friend being interested in an event, I ended up at a seminar on social media for small business. It was an amazing evening. I was in a room with eight other women, all running their own businesses, mostly in and around the tiny rural town of Hunterville. Next time you’re driving through Hunterville you really should stop, have a coffee and something to eat at Relish cafe, then wander around the corner to MollieMabel, where you can buy Go Bars muesli bars from Bakergirl, Rata Olive Oil and foil prints by Sparkle Prints. Then take a look across the road at Hunterville Trading Company. And next time you’re in Wairarapa, Washpool Coastal Retreat might be worth a stay.
We were brought together by the lovely Carla of Fluffymilk. When she’s not a social media guru she’s an artist, specialising in stone sculpture. And she does workshops! You too can create a symphony in stone.
Anyway, the point of the rambling advertisement is to point out that while some parts of the social media universe are a murky swamp, most of it is a place to connect with old friends and new, find support, build a business, establish a community, learn, share – the possibilities are endless.