10 Ways You Can Make Social Media A Happier Place

Social media has always had a bit of an issue with being the angry red-headed stepchild. Think about it → How likely are you to share a negative experience over a positive one on social? How many times do you have to stop yourself from leaving a spur-of-the-moment nasty comment on someone’s post? Or do you even stop yourself from doing that? Social media is an incredibly powerful tool and influences a great deal of today’s population. While you might think a quick, negative comment is nothing to shake a finger at, it actually can have devastating consequences across the board. This lack of understanding the impact of social media can be seen most in younger generations. There is no concept of how one word can affect someone, and definitely little thinking put in before posting.

So, with all of the negativity circulating the networks this year due to some tragic news, why not start changing the way we look at social media? Why not start using this free megaphone to blast positive thoughts into a negative environment?

 

Here are 10 ways you can start making social media a more positive place today:

 

Start A Personal Campaign

When I’m having a negative moment in life, I think about one positive thing that happened each day, write it down on a piece of paper and put that piece of paper into a mason jar. Then, when I am having a bad moment, I take one of the pieces of paper out of the jar and remind myself that positive things are happening in my life that I should be grateful for. This is a super simple idea to translate onto social media. Create your own hashtag and commit to sharing one great thing that happens to you each day on social media. Soon, you will have 365 tweets sharing positive moments in your life.

 

Advocate

So many organizations are creating campaigns on social media to help advocate for human rights, animal rights, improving health, etc. Find the organization that is closest to your heart and join their campaign! Start writing social media posts that advocate for the things you love and want to change in this world.

 

Start A Blog

Everyone has something to say, so say it! Start a blog and start expressing positive emotions about what you love about this life, and what you think we all can change for the better. Inspire people to feel differently about negative moments in their lives by sharing authentic stories of your own. Not a writer? No problem! Share photos that express your positive view of the world, or even photos that motivate people to get involved and change the world.

 

Reach Out

If you see someone suffering on social media, reach out to them. It’s not creepy, believe me. If you can see it, they want you to see it. Even if it is someone you’ve never met before, share a positive quote with them or an antidote from your own life that might make their day a little better. It’s amazing what a little touch of kindness can do on social media. If you really want to commit to making social media a happier place, commit to reaching out to at least one person a day who is struggling.

 

Create Your Own Images

Social media is all about the visuals! Share your own inspirational thoughts, or calls to actions, via images you create on your own. Here’s a simple how-to guide on how to make stellar images with literally no budget at all: 5 Tools To Create Social Media Graphics For Free.

 

Be Real

In order to truly be effective with your positivity, you need to be real. Positivity is not going over the top and hiding the flaws in your life so you look perfect. Positivity is sharing how you are maintaining a positive attitude even in negative circumstances. Don’t try to hide your flaws from everyone in order to be positive. Instead, show people how you have converted your flaws into positive energy to share with the world.

 

Start A Group

Groups are one of the most therapeutic features of social media. Think about something you are struggling with and create a group on Facebook for others that are also dealing with the same issues. Foster an open, loving environment where others feel safe to also share what they are going through in life. Groups can have such a positive impact on the lives of others by providing a safe space for them to talk about what they are going through and feel just a little bit less alone.

 

Volunteer

A lot of organizations making positive waves in the social media space are nonprofits. This means they do not have the budget to necessarily support social media staff, or even one social media person. Reach out to one of your favorite organizations and ask if you can volunteer time to their social media. Offer to start an Instagram page for them, or ask if you can help them create images. Figure out what you are good at with social media and volunteer those skills to an organization that is helping the world become a better place.

 

Donate Your Birthday

Facebook has an awesome feature where you can now actually create a fundraising campaign for your birthday. Pick your favorite organization and set up a donation page for your birthday. Invite all of your friends to make a donation to that organization in lieu of gifts for you. You would be surprised about how donated birthdays can add up for an organization.

 

Start Your Own Cause

Are you not finding an established organization fighting for what matters to you? Start your own via social media! Share what you want to change about the world and your ideas for what would make this change. Encourage others to join you in your fight. Social media is one of the best places to advocate for what you believe in.

 

What ways are you working towards making social media a happier place? Share your ideas in the comments below!

 

– Marji J. Sherman