An Approach to Spreading Positive Vibes on Social Media:
As I ponder where our society has come after the emergence of social media, my thoughts are torn. Social media has a huge impact on our lives. With years of criticism affecting the advertising industry for promoting an unattainable look, this can also be said for social media. After all, so many people “look perfect” and seem to be living the “perfect life” according to social media. We see it in a picture of someone, highly filtered, looking their “best”. We all see the posts about how “great” and “perfect” another’s life is, running rampant on social media. But are they really perfect? Absolutely not. Keep in mind, everyone is human. Even worse though, what about the posts that are “meant” to hurt others? We all see those posts. The negative comments, directly or indirectly posted to target someone or a group of people, can take an extreme toll on one’s emotional and mental well-being. “Cyberbullying” takes many forms. It can shape and cause much harm onto people. It can ruin lives and reputations. Social media can become a fuel for negative feelings to those already suffering from self-doubt.
What if we can change this? It needs to start somewhere, right? Big changes, often start small. One small act of kindness, can change a person’s entire life. One kind word can make all the difference. I’m on a mission to spread “positivity” in my small way.
First, let’s teach others, especially our kids, some of these points:
- Take your social media posts and on-line presence seriously. Do not underestimate the impact your words have, whether made in person or on social media. Words can be weapons, that have the worst consequences. Please, use your words wisely and try to lift others up, rather than cause hurt.
-As a parent or role-model, we need to reflect a positive response to failure. It is ok to be imperfect. No one is perfect. Sometimes we need to teach our kids, and other adults for that matter, that it is normal and great to be an imperfect “human being”. The things that make us different, actually make us wonderful and beautiful. Also, learning failure, is how we learn to succeed.
- We encourage you to praise others. When you get a chance to say something positive about another person, take the time to say it. One kind word can change someone’s entire life. More importantly, practice what you preach. Teach positivity and acceptance of others and be an example.
Our dance studio has decided we are going to promote days throughout the year, called “FDC positive vibes” days. We are encouraging our dancers to share something real (with unfiltered pictures, if they choose a picture) that reflects joy or encouragement onto others in their social media posts. These days will be days free of negativity and only about sharing “positive vibes” with others. Keep your social media positive and with the theme of spreading positivity. If you choose not to post on these days, then we ask that you find a way that you can randomly share an act of kindness with someone in another way. We can make a difference, and it needs to start somewhere, why not here! And hey… if we can spread this beyond the studio, think about what a better place we could make the social media outlets and the world. That would be something to be proud of.
Look for our first “positive vibes” day September 18th.
Dates to remember: International Random Acts of Kindness Week: February 9-15, 2019.