Hello All, I'm a student and at Uni we were talking about the impact that social media has on our bodies.
One principle that stood out, was that when a person comes in contact with a negative post toward them, they internalize it, like it
is coming from someone face to face.
Basically put, when you receive a negative comment online (or a social media platform) your immediate impulse is to
internalize it and create concern in fixing the issue. The thing that's astounding to me is that when you see and comprehend
a negative message we tend to react to it like the person was sitting right in front of us. (when they rarely are).
I'd like to hear what you all think about the issue if we dive deeper.
Do you agree with the statement above?
If not, why not? Do you see it as another issue?
Do you see it as an issue in general?
How would we work on combating it personally?
Is it a personal issue, or an issue promoted by society?
If its societal, is there a fix or a correction that we can point out?
Would any fix in relation cause a negative effect on ones rights?
Why would a person internalize a negative comment from someone with no intrinsic value to them?
Is short form not allowing a full argument to be presented?
Are there ramifications for us taking in negative comments?
Are there skills involved with not allowing that to happen?
Are there skills involved with creating a malevolent post?
Those are just some starters. Really interested in different thoughts.
as always be respectful of others answers and try to further the conversation
with your reply.
I do believe social media/internet negatively impacts people in this day and age. I grew up in an era without all of the interconnectivity that we have these days and I feel like issues weren't as wide spread, even if they existed behind a curtain at the time. But, when you're struggling in life and see your friend in vacation in Cabo, it can't help but make you feel awful about this, that, or the other life choices. Now, this isn't society's fault so much as it may an individual fault, but it is a fault all the same. And it's one that wasn't so readily advertised 20 years ago.
I live in the USA and we have a mental health problem in this country. We hide it behind guns, drugs, homelessness etc, but it is, all in all, a mental health issue most times. Social media can, and does, exacerbate this stuff in the already weak willed and can push them towards a precipice of harming their own self or others. As can be evidenced by one shooter who targeted females solely because he felt unnoticed by them. I can't recall his name and don't haveh the time to look him up.
As far as internalizing the opinions of those who you don't know (no intrinsic value to you), it's irrelevant to those with preexisting conditions. All they see/hear is the negative and it incites anger and frustration in them so much that it can lead to a negative mental health state even where one didn't necessarily exist before.
In short, is social media and its ilk a blessing or a curse, is the ultimate question society should answer. Is it a cancer or a cure?
Sounds like from your take its an issue from both sides? Growing up in an era without the immediate inter-connectivity that we have now; does that mean no internet or like you were a kid when AOL was born?
You make a good point about how a spiral can appear in looking at social media as a whole, esp in the case where you a are already in a state of maladaptive behavior. That makes the burden take an even heavier toll I'd think, because if you're depressed (per-say) and come into contact with something that produces negative emotion, generally speaking you're not going to jump for joy at that point.
I think a good target to your last couple paragraphs is: Why do you think a person of reasonable understanding would react to a negative comment with a normal negative emotion ( conceived as a direct strike, lets say) to someone they may never have come in contact before?
In regards to your question; Its interesting to think of this vast access of information we have, to think that if you were curious about something you can just get it, and then turn to cat memes. The blessing/curse thing is really interesting because I can certainly see why social media in itself could be both. You're putting yourself in a position where you can converse with family you never would normally see, much more easy, while still maintaining your own sense of self-space (taking much of the "inconvenience" out of talking to your family or even friends). On the other hand posting anything can open you up to a random barrage of first draft unpleasantness that your mind takes initially as a threat before trying to make sense of it.
I wonder if we react that way because, in most cases the words aren't true, and our nature is to defend against the threat or get away from it. If our response to someones negative thoughts directed at us is evolutionary or biologically driven, I wonder how we could go about creating a way for people to be aware its happening and curb the reaction with their own understanding?
Let's see, it's a very interesting topic to talk about, and i feel there are a lots of issues right now with the way the connectivity is handled right now for most of the people not to say all of the people. I was born before the internet went worldwide but as a teenager i got Access to internet.
At first it was a way to get info about things you were interested in, it was (and for some things it still is) usefull. By the time the years passed and the internet got faster the different platforms of social media started to appear naturally.
I was unsure at the beginning if this was something positive but was conviced by my brother to open up a profile on a certaing social media network and it was fun. The possibility to get in touch with people you ussually don't have the chance or for some reasons went to another city or country, to know how they are doing, how are their lifes, etc.
As the years passed by i felt i was becoming and addict to social media, getting the urge to post something, to show something even if I didn't want to but had the feeling that i could be tossed aside and the social media was less and less fun.
One day I decided to close all my socia media profiles, decided to get away of that reality "show all your life to people you don't even know". Ironically I "lost" a lot of "friends" just for the reason I was not connected to them but it actually was for the better caused i realiced they were not trully friends. And I started to feel fine again, happy, enjoying, for me at least, the thinks that really matters.
It's bee 6 years since i have closed all my media profiles and I don't miss any of it, nor I want to ever get a profile in any social media ever again.
Now, for the topic in hand. I think that the problem with negative comments it's not the comment in itself but that people are actually very insecures of themselves and they tend to cover up theirs insecurities with posting on social media anything from their lives just to show, and prove to themselves, how a "great" life they have. So when a negative comments appear theirs imaginary reality starts to crumble and they feel the need and the urge to do something about it.
Now if you ask me how to combat it, i would simply say "less time online more time on real life"to stop living on a reality show 24/7 a year. All of the people feels and have felt insecure in any point in their life but you know how to deal with it on social media you are exposed to hundreds of negative comments or any type and are a lots of troll that go around there just to insult people just because and that's a problem.
I grew up b4 social media so I have little trouble separating real life and online life. I'm not a rock so I may get into the occasional online argument but even then it quickly blows away when I leave the keyboard. Imo people should spend more time enjoying what they have and who they are instead of trying to project a fake image of perfection to compare with other people's also fake perfection. To put it simply I find most people's obsession with social media sad and pathetic.
(Please bear with me, English is not my mother language and i am trying to be as concise as i can)
There is a rule of thumb, sorta the thing that your grandma always says; one way or the other the meaning comes down to: Excess is bad.
I believe that it is incredibly important to consider that, because exposure to one negative comment is bad, but its not nocive.
On the other hand, spending too much time just navigating thru an army of ideologically possessed people when you are checking the news or enjoying some memes is nothing short of deadly. For a time, i was so naive to think that i was above all that stuff and that i was actually having fun and becoming 'sharp' when coming up with witty responses and original ways to defend a point or just troll someone.
What can i say? Its fun to be edgy when you are 16. And if you grow accustomed to it, you find yourself being 23 and still having a go at it.
To this day i have not earned nothing out of it. Just additional stress, something that i assuredly do not need help getting in my life.
Well, to be fair, i did learn a couple of things:
I would not have understood what it is to be ideologically possessed or what is the difference between a religious believer and a full-blown fundamentalist or fanatic. Or the difference between a secular person and a fedora atheist.
Which reminds me that the dangers of exposing yourself in social media for too long (especially in places where opposing ideologies clash with reasonable people in the crossfire)
1. Tribalism is ever present: Yes. It does give you a sense of self-righteousness when you embark with a bunch of strangers to attack people you don't share your views with. As a matter of fact, some people get rewarded for being hostile, annoying and fallacious. So basically the exposure to negative comments is a risk worth taking, because the other side of the coin is that people praise you when you retaliate properly, creating more negative comments. People often praise and promote 'roasting' enemies.
2. Tribal Feedback: Some of that praise and promotion actually creates a feedback, and becomes a flag to wave in the virtual battlefield. The typical feminazi calling every single male that critiques her skewed view of the world an 'incel' (involuntary celibate) became a flag for the feminazis to wave against any male that dislikes or questions their motives. And 'internalized oppression' the flag to attack females that do not conform with the 3rd wave feminism ideological tenants.
On the other side of the equation, we see that the tiny Alt-Right uses catchphrases and ideas that are easy to throw against... Well everyone. Because even their ideological relatives are enemies of the Alt-Right.
The idea applies for the Religious Fanatics Vs Atheist Fanatics. Climate Change Theory pseudo-scientists Vs Climate Change Deniers Pseudo-Scientists. Flat Earthers Vs Normal people, and so on.
3. Echo Chambers: Basically people strive to group up with people with similar views. This is no surprise and it is not a bad thing. But when you strive a little too hard, and when you just shut down to anything but your social group, then you become isolated and you are susceptible to indoctrination and other nasty things (Public Education in any country is a very nice example of this)
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How to fight it on a personal basis? Reduce significantly the amount of time spent in social media. It is not only to avoid the negative comment issue, its to avoid MSM panic inducing pattern. They need to sell views and clicks, so they only push really FUBAR news. This is not a US only issue. It is the general rule of modern journalism. Bad news are more notorious and easier to work. And they need to get views/clicks/likes for a living.
You have to REALLY dig in deep to find good news nowadays.
Btw, i have seen people trying to do it. To have a 'no social media' Saturday or something like that. Some people even disconnect entirely one day of the week. No phone, no email, no social media. I am trying to do the same (funnily enough, playing Torn)
Yeah man,you dont have to read the whole script to these FF mind****s..just the jist.
Glad to see TV is ****ing people just as hard as it ever did
"Moderation in all things." --Aristotle