Using Social Media as Your Superpower

The headlines always focus on the negatives of social media. There are always stories of cyberbullying and abuse, often transferring into real-life tragedies. Or there are stories about social media being a negative influence on people, or how much time is “wasted” on social media. It’s about time that you start making headlines for using the powers of social media for good. You can use social media as your superpower.

A Social Media Superhero

One person who has made headlines for the right reasons for her social media use is the Swedish teenager, Greta Thunberg. She is very open about the fact that she has Aspergers, also known as Autism Spectrum Disorder, or ASD. She is also very passionate about climate change, and she has been very vocal about it on social media, where she has over eight million followers on Instagram and three million followers on Twitter. 

At the age of 16, she has used her powerful social media voice to make things happen in real life, organizing activists all over the world for her cause. She has also been sailing all over the world and even speaking to the United Nations, all because she used her social media superpower. She is educating people worldwide and being a voice for something good. Not everyone is going to want to do the same thing, or manage to accomplish all of those things in a lifetime, let alone at such a young age. But that doesn’t stop you from doing more and doing good things with your social media.

Being an Active Participant

One of the simplest ways to do good things on social media is to be an active participant. Instead of just scrolling through your feed or watching videos, like. Share. Make positive comments if there is something that you like. Content producers work hard to create content, and it feels really good when people notice their work.

Likewise, if you see any bullying or abuse, unfollow those accounts. You can also report the abuse, even if it was not directed toward you. If it is threatening or if there is self-harm involved, you can also call the police and report it to them. You might just save someone’s life, actually. You can make it known by positive actions that abuse is not something to be tolerated. It is also reaffirming to follow the person who was being abused and to share positive comments and show solidarity with them.

Seek Positive Content

Look for content that makes you happy, but also be sure the content is positive. For example, if someone captions an unflattering picture of a teacher or someone you know and posts it, you have a choice. Perhaps you think it is hilarious, and maybe it is. But is it positive? Because if that person finds out, they will be humiliated and feel terrible. Hurting or making fun of other people is not positive.

On the other hand, if someone posts a funny image of themselves with a caption that is poking fun at themselves, which is also hilarious, that can be positive. There is a difference between someone willing to laugh at themselves and someone being secretly laughed at by others. You should always try to find the humor that is positive, not harmful to others. 

This doesn’t mean that you are limited to pet videos and motivational memes. There is a lot of great content out there that is positive and doesn’t harm others. By following, liking and sharing positive content, that sends a message that good content is what you want.

Create Positive Content

Whatever you choose to post and share should likewise be positive. Think before you post. Does posting “Just got out of bed” help people? No, but it doesn’t hurt people, either. But if you thought about it for a second, you could possibly post “It’s early, I didn’t want to get up, but now that I am, I am going to make it worthwhile.” That post may inspire other people to have a good attitude about the day, and will definitely get more views and likes. It may even inspire you to have a better day, too. When you think before you post, it improves the quality of your feed, improves your interactions, and also may just help inspire someone.

You can also use your social media to advocate for causes that mean something to you, educate others about mental health, or to create change within your social circles. There are so many influencers out there who try to do anything to keep their following growing, but you can be an influencer of humans. Not worrying about numbers, but rather worrying about creating a legacy of inspiration on social media.

You are already on social media. How you use it is up to you. You can use it like other people, or you can use it as your superpower. Be a voice for good online. Stand up to the negativity, bullying and abuse, and support people who are trying to make a difference in the world. As you are selective about your social media use, you can create positive trends for others to follow, too. You can be part of the change of social media. 

Unleash your social media superpowers. Get your mental health training in by calling Embark Behavioral Health 1-855-809-0409 today. Then it will be your turn to change the world, one click at a time.