You Have the Power!

Social media has become a central part of our life. We love to hear about the successes of those we follow. We love the humor, the pretty pictures, the stories.

But along with the positive comes the darkness.

And not I’m not just talking about the trolls.

(Am I the only one who misses the days when trolls were something only to fear in fairytales or Harry Potter?).

Numerous celebrities, like Selena Gomez, have pulled away from social media lately. Some of them were struggling when it came to their mental health because of the cruel attacks made on them in the comments.

I commend them for stepping away. Their mental health is more important than being on social media.

But this isn’t the only issue surrounding the platforms. Two years ago, I had an author friend who I met through a FB author group. We used to talk to each other every day on messenger. But over time, I noticed a darker side to her. She liked to tear people down behind their backs. You could be a friend or a stranger—it didn’t matter.

At first, I just shrugged it off, but her darkness started pulling me down. I began to be like her, and stupidly didn't tell her to stop it. It got to a point where I couldn't take it anymore. I started to dread her messages, and our friendship ended.

I took things one step further—I blocked her. That’s right, not only can you block those creepy men who send you messages, you can block the negative Nancies you want to avoid. The person can comment on the same posts that you read, but you’ll never see that they were there.  

I highly recommend it. It’s very freeing.

It’s a step toward keeping the soul-draining negativity out of your life.

Have you had to block someone on social media for your own mental well being?