Social Media are interactive Web 2.0 Internet-based applications. User generated content(UGC) such as text, posts or comments, digital photos or videos and data generated through all online interactions, is the lifeblood of social media. UGC alternatively known as user-created content is any form of content such as images videos, text and audio that had been posted by users on online platforms such as Facebook, Whatsapp, Instagram and many more.
Now with that being said I understand that every individual has some kind of right to post whatever content it is that they wish to post on their respective social platforms. Although social media comes with numerous responsibilities one of those many responsibilities, most people are either ignorant of or choose to ignore on a daily basis which results in social media becoming toxic. I'm referring to the undiscussed responsibility people have to contribute peacefulness on these social platforms (yes, I made it up but it should be a responsibility implemented by users on social platforms I'll explain why .)
I'll use whatsapp for instance because it's more intimate and a personal diary to most and is one of the platforms that I've realized is becoming more and more toxic,for me. What I mean by toxic is that the human organisms is very much like plants, it draws energies and so humans can pick up on the thoughts/feelings /intentions of others and own them as their own. Absorbing other people's energies happen through the tedious process of checking people's statuses. The most common topics or content shared on the green app are constantly about how toxic and cruel humans are, people's experiences of love, the need for aesthetics and to have the aesthetic lifestyle and to some of us it's repetitive content and it is such content people post everyday that makes the thought of going on whatsapp and being on the app draining.
This has made me realize that most people don't know how to use social media in a healthier and peaceful way mostly for others. I think it's because majority of households where people of Colour reside mental health issues were not addressed or in conversations. It's then when people of Colour, we find ourselves exploring the freedom of speech by vocalizing our every positive and pessimistic thoughts anytime not considering how it'll affect the next person. The way in which we use social media triggers alot in some people which affects our health psychologically, mentally, emotionally and at times physically too. It's sad that the only option to avoid waking up to negative energies and constantly being in spaces that'll drain you is to mute people's statuses and cleanse our whatsapp contacts once in a while, which isn't a permanent solution. I want to say people need to be comfortable with posting their pessimistic negative effecting posts and be content with no one else viewing their posts can be a solution but hey freedom of speech right, user generated content. It's literally if you can't handle the heat get the hell out of the kitchen kind of scenario.
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