Why I Hate Social Media (but will probably never leave)

My observation on how digital communication is destroying our lives.

I recently had a very disheartening argument about, what I would call, a small misunderstand based off of an action I did in order to protect my heart from the trauma I’ve experienced in the past, but was seen as an abandonment and personal attack.

I have always had a love hate relationship with social media. With the rise of technology, increasing contempt for delaying gratification, and assumptions as truth rather than a curiosity of our fellow “man”, we are becoming a very disconnected and lonely society.

It’s no wonder that Louis C. K.’s quick retort on how humans would rather risk death by texting in the car to not feel alone, trended as there were so many that could relate on a personal level.

As a person who has been on the computer since 1987 (I’m 33), I’ve seen and even felt guilty for being apart of the problem as I was part of an industry that would manufacture communication only to result in further discontent, more accounts of depression and loneliness, and public rants of negativity in place of spreading love.

And I’m sick of it. As a person who is on the autism spectrum, (Autism 1, formerly known as Aspergers), I already struggle with communication and social development…or so I thought. My observations have been that of people unable to see a person and hear their words rather than assume their tone through text. And it’s sad.

A lot of my relationships have ended on account of misunderstandings of ones participation in social media, and trying to reconcile this with a quest for meaning has been unsuccessful to say the least and has caused me to, at many times, give up.

What happened to empathy? What happened to truly trying to understand the other views of a person through an unbiased lens? What happened to compassion? Or simple communication in the form of acknowledgement, gratitude or grace.

These are all endangered. And we need to wake up.

I often feel that I will be alone, and at this point, it seems less stressful to be a speaker of truth, and a scholar in solitude. But that presents a dangerous black and white thinking that could be even more toxic.

I really don’t know what else to say but, I hope there is an answer soon.

Thoughts? All comments and discussions are not only welcomed but desperately desired.