5 Ways To Use Your Social Media For Good
In 2020, mostly everyone has some form of social media, especially the younger generations. Social media gets a lot of flack for leading to cyberbullying, depression, and sleep deprivation. Don’t get me wrong, these are warranted complaints. But social media can also be used positively. Here are 5 ways to use your social media for good.
1. Social media makes it easier to lift others up
Social media is notorious for being a forum for where cyberbullying is rampant. This main reason why so much bullying takes place on social media is because it’s easy. Instead of facing someone face to face, you can say whatever you want to others and likely face no consequence. This goes both ways though. Social media makes it extremely easy to spread kindness and lift others up. It can be daunting to compliment someone in person, especially strangers. With social media, all you have to do is leave a like and/or kind comment and you can make someone’s day. This is a great way to counteract the culture of bullying on social media and do your part to make others feel loved. Overall, social media may be used as a tool for bullying, it can be even more powerful when used for kindness.
2. Social media can be used to self-inform and self-educate
Being active on social media is obviously a great way to keep in touch with family and friends, but it’s also a great way to educate yourself on topics you are not familiar with from people who are qualified to give information on the subject. One of my personal experiences with the education social media offers is the Black Lives Matter movement. Back in summer 2016, when the movement was first starting, there wasn’t much information out there beyond social media that explained the purpose and goals of the movement. Twitter was the first place where I received information on the movement. Social media is also a great place to receive real-time news before they are ever covered by print or TV news. I personally use social media for local news like COVID-19 updates, weather warnings, and other local information. I find that if you are getting this information from a trusted account, the news is trustworthy and very up to date. Overall, social media is an outstanding way to receive news that can be used to educate yourself and inform you about the happenings of the day.
3. You can use social media as an activist
Do you have a cause that you believe and are passionate in? Social media is one of the best tools to get your message out to the world and monitor its spread. When pointing out how social media is a great tool to educate yourself, the same goes for educating others. Using social media allows you to reach a broad audience, and if that audience likes what you’re saying, your content will spread. Social media can also be used to organize events and meet-ups so that you can continue your activism in real life. Overall, being an activist on social media for the causes you want to shed a light on will surely allow more people to see your message than if you used other methods. You can meet people of like-mindedness and organize ways in how to change and influence the world around you. Thanks to the internet, this sort of connectedness and organization is easier and more effective than ever.
4. You can use social media to brand yourself
Social media lets others get a good idea of who you are. If you are in the job market, social media is the best tool to show employers who you are in ways that can’t be shown in a resume. Social media is how you express to employers your personality and how you connect with others. If you have a put together social media with plenty of followers and a tasteful look, this will surely be a plus for employers. If you have an expansive resume but employers don’t have a good idea of the person you are, social media is a great tool to broadcast your own life. Social media is also a great place to find jobs. Companies will often advertise job openings on platforms like Facebook. By contacting them via your social media account, you have an opportunity to make a great first impression through your profile. Having a put-together profile overall is a great way to put your best face forward in the internet world and possibly expose you to opportunities that otherwise wouldn’t be available to you.
5. You can use social media for entertainment
Social media is a great way to entertain yourself! Indulge in all of the memes and the funny content out there. When done in moderation, using social media for entertainment is great because it is free and quite interesting! Using social media in this way as an escape, again, in moderation, is great for mental health and filling up time when you are bored. Also, don’t be afraid to make your own funny content and putting it online. Not taking yourself seriously is one of the keys to gaining a following, and your followers will gravitate towards entertaining and/or funny content. It’s no secret that plenty of now-famous artists/creators got their start as comedic social media users. Overall, social media is great when used for entertainment. It is a space that allows for great creativity and exposure, something that is valuable in today’s internet-driven world. Other people’s content or even your own can put a smile on someone’s face and make their day.
Social media is a tool that can be used for both good and bad. The bad uses of social media tend to overshadow the good nowadays, despite the plenty of positive societal improvements social media has provided. Hopefully, these tips will give you an idea of how to use social media to your advantage and the greater good.
