By SheelaR
This might seem like a bit of an oxymoron, but I’m a fairly private person. One of my biggest pet-peeves is people that cross boundaries into other peoples personal lives. I’m a firm believer in drawing lines and expecting people not to cross them, which leads me to this… Social media has basically erased all sense of privacy that anyone could want or possibly expect. Most people with social media accounts over-share and they have an unreasonable expectation for everyone else to do the same. I didn’t understand it before, but now I do. Misery simply loves company.
My friend telephoned me in a bit of a panic. A picture and conversation shared in private, managed to make its way into the seedy slimy world that is otherwise known as Instagram. I have an Instagram account, but there is nothing remotely personal on it. I got off that slippery slop. Anyways… She is traumatized. She quickly deactivated all her social media accounts and quietly returned to a private sheltered place. I don’t blame her at all. Existing on the internet is like selling your soul to the devil. It can be an unkind and unrelentingly brutal place.
Even the most seemingly innocuous places hide people who are evil personified…internet thugs, gossips, troublemakers, shit-starters, emotionally immature adults, and bullies who are always looking for an opportunity to hurt and cause chaos. With every passing day I’m more aware of this, and I find myself slowly retreating. It is nearly, but not impossible to shield yourself from harm. It has become a full-time job just doing so. I feel badly for “L.” She had no idea that trust is just a 5-letter word for some people. Her personal life has been put on full-blast, and it has devastated her.
I had no idea that so many emotionally immature adults existed, until my foray into social media. Apparently, “L” didn’t either. What she thought was a “private moment” between “friends” has spiraled completely out of control. All I could offer her were assurances that her life would eventually return to some level of normalcy. I suggested she find some healthy way of coping with of stress of it all. I also suggested that she reevaluate some her ” online friendships,” should she ever return to the world wide web…and most importantly, put up clear boundaries. You simply can’t allow everyone into the yard.
People clamor to make new connections and friendships via social media, but you can’t always entertain it. Once you learn what people are capable of, you put of the electrified fence…and leave the “friendships” where they are, online.There are lots of undeserving people that want to be your “friend,” but most have no idea of what that entails. They are online for “entertainment purposes,” and sometimes…you become the entertainment.
Having said all that…I’d like to end this by saying…there are also some incredibly mature and intelligent adults existing on the internet. They don’t play games, engage in childish behavior, or cross personal boundaries. Real adults understand that social media is not just for their entertainment. It is comprised of real people with real lives. It’s not a game, it is an extension of our real lives in words. One must never forget that “Good fences, make good neighbors.”
Live and let live…
Thoughts of a Wordinary Girl 