Were We Better Off Before Social Media?

Before I start my little rant, please note that I do recognize the irony in the fact that you're reading this on social media. 

Never mind, I'm going to say it anyway: I have a love-hate relationship with social media.

There are moments when I think it's the best darned thing that ever happened. There is so much sharing and caring, if you pick your friends carefully and you don't engage with negativity. 

As a person who was raised to be polite, however, I am dismayed that social media tends to reward the noisiest and snarkiest among us. Evidently, it brings out the inner bully in a large number of people.

At its absolute worst, social media could lead to a world-ending war. It's an incubator and a megaphone for rage, conspiracy theorists, and terrorists.

On a day to day basis for most users, the dangers are two-fold: We are surrendering our privacy (to varying degrees, depending on how cautious you are). And, we are accepting a lifestyle that moves too fast.

Much too fast.

I have noticed that when I've been overly-connected to social media I'm not nearly as likely to watch a bird building its nest, to spontaneously call an old friend, or simply sit and watch the clouds go by. And yet those are among the things that nurture my soul. There are certainly days when I wish we could turn back the clock. But I can't give up on it – at least not yet. Right now it's a new invention. It's the wild west of our lifetime. Let's hope someone figures out a way to emphasize the good and get rid of the bad.

- Amy Hill Hearth is a New York Times bestselling author. Her tenth book, published in 2018, is Streetcar to Justice: How Elizabeth Jennings Won the right to Ride in New York. www.AmyHillHearth.com