Social Media

I was listening to a podcast the other day and one of the people on it was talking about how they feel stuck sometimes about what big world events to post about on social media and it got me thinking about what I think about before I post anything. This is just what I do, it might not work for you, but for me this is where I have been able to draw lines.

1. Would I say something about this subject if politics was not involved? There are many things that I care about that political affiliation doesn't play into... loving one another, healthcare so all people have a chance to participate in life, disability rights, that no person should be sold.... I have had feelings about these topics for a long time and honestly just in my lifetime which political party stands for which of those things has changed... those are things I have a strong opinion about despite which side of the isle they are on.

2. Is this something I even feel should be political? I have really struggled the last couple of years with how many things have become political that have not been before. Loving people should not be political... so I am more likely to post about something if it has just become political recently that was not before that I don't feel should be a political statement... like putting children in cages is wrong, that wasn't a political statement long ago, for some horrible reason it is now... I don't think that should be a political statement.

3. Read a lot first. I read several articles about something before I post about it, and many times will wait a little bit so I can get several sources. I look for places that are not fueling fires but are seeking to inform or love. I look at the tone of a piece... does it really seek to portray facts AND does it seek to love people... there are plenty of stories out there that might tell some facts but their main goal is to blame the other side... that doesn't help in loving.

4. Have someone you are accountable to on line. My husband and I post very different things online... he is much more of a political meme person then I am but he is also a much much more informed person on politics then I am, and a well rounded person on politics (Brent voted McCain over Obama and Kasich in the primary... people like to call him a crazy liberal right now because he disagrees with a lot of the things Trump is doing and stands for but in many areas he is a conservative and someone who learns all about a person before voting for them, he very much votes person not party). Brent and I have an agreement that we will privately tell each other if we have an issue with what the other person posts... this doesn't mean we are policing each others social media but we know each other well enough to know each others heart on an issue and if we feel the other person didn't portray their heart well we will say something. We need accountability in our lives. Find someone who doesn't hold all of the same views as you to keep you accountable.

5. Reread your post before posting it and if it is something with emotion behind it, write it, reread it, wait a few minutes, reread it again and then think about it. This might be my people pleasing nature coming out but any time I post anything that has to do about world events my brain get nervous, I want people to like me and this week saying children shouldn't be in cages gets you unliked by some people, but sometimes you have to stand up for what you believe it, however that doesn't mean you need to be a jerk while doing it... you can stand up for what you believe in without trying to hurt other people.

So those are the things I do. I am by no means perfect in this area. Its something I think about though because if we don't then we are just going by emotion and a lot of people can end up hurt that way.