Do you ever read a Tweet or Facebook status that makes your heart warm?
How about seeing a social share of a new baby or a cartoon that makes you laugh out loud?
Do funny cat pics rank in the highlights of your day?
Social media isn’t all bad. If it were, it wouldn’t be so darn popular!
While it’s easy to talk about the little pet peeves (or even the big peeves) that get to us about social media but no matter how frustrated we might get at times, we have to remember the good things that social media brings us. There are so many things we simply didn’t and couldn’t have experienced before social media. So for the sake of keeping it positive, let’s look at some social media anti-peeves.
Here are some common social media anti-pet peeves:
Social media used for good- No, it’s not all funny cat pics and what people had for lunch. There are so many wonderful cases of social media being used to help people. I just wrote about one case recently: Social Media Helps Send Young Lady with Down Syndrome to Camp. It’s not just big cases of social good either. In recent years alone, I have seen people unite to help a friend with cancer, my daughter when someone stole her savings stash of cash, a family who had their house flooded, a friend who needed a new wheelchair and so much more. I could list these great stories all day and this is what makes me very happy about social media.
Reconnecting with past friends– Have you ever lost someone? Maybe a friend from elementary school or your old college roommate? Maybe that person you worked with years ago and you lost touch but think of them often. Social media is great at reconnecting people. You can find long lost friends and family, connect with that friend from the work conference and even find old childhood friends with ease. These were things we would not have been able to do before social media, or at least not as easily.
Great customer service- What’s better than great customer service via your favorite social media network? When brands listen to our needs and answer our concerns it makes us feel like they truly care about us. This increases brand loyalty and it makes us feel like our voices are being heard. Have you ever have great customer service from a brand via social media?
Motivational pictures and quotes– Honestly, it can really brighten your day to get a little positive motivational picture or quote that hits you right at the perfect moment when you’re browsing through your social media. Even better is when someone shares something with you that they know you will appreciate.
Having someone be there, even if it’s from far away- Sometimes we feel like our day cannot get any worse. And sometimes when it seems like our lives are falling apart, there will be that one person (or several someones) who comes along via a social network to remind us that someone cares, someone has your back and someone is there, even if it’s from a distance.
Remembering birthdays– If you’ve ever gotten a load of Facebook birthday wishes then you know how great it feels to be remembered. Most people will take a moment to leave you a greeting when Facebook reminds them it’s your birthday. For some people, this might be one of the only greetings they get. It’s the little things that make the world a better place.
I bet you can think of many more anti-pet peeves to add to the list. Am I right?
As for me, I love social media (who’s surprised to read that?) and I learn a little more each day about why I love it and the people I connect with through it.
Here are some of my social media anti-pet peeves:
People who come to say hello or share an image/post they think I will enjoy.
People spreading joy and positivity rather than complaints online.
People who respect social media and the cultural power that it holds and choose to use their social abilities for good vs. evil.
