Billions of people around the world use social media. There’s no doubt that popular platforms like Snapchat, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook offer incredible opportunities to connect with others and build community. However, along with the benefits come negative side effects. Stories of cyberbullying and trolling grace our news feeds daily and all of that negativity can make what was once intended as a fun and empowering pastime seem just not worth the effort anymore.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. Social media, for all of its faults, isn’t inherently bad. In fact, these sites can be the perfect places to spread positivity and hope. Here are four ways to change the conversation on your news feed.
1. Post an inspiring quote or Bible verse
Vision boards are tools that keep you focused on a goal and give you a bit of daily inspiration. Some people write quotes on their bathroom mirror or hang beautiful photos at their desk at work to keep them inspired. Social media may just be the perfect place to share your vision with others. Like to start your day off with a motivating quote? Share it on Instagram! Find a powerful Bible verse in your morning devotion? Post in on Twitter. Dreaming of an exotic vacation next summer? Create a board on Pinterest to share with friends and followers. Whatever’s motivating and inspiring you every day will probably do the same for someone else. Why not share the love?
2. Stay in touch with friends and family
Facebook was created with the goal that the website would make it easier for people to become friends, stay in touch and be active (online) participants in each other’s lives, even if they weren’t able to see each other face-to-face. But Facebook isn’t just about connecting with friends and family anymore. Now, we can follow pages of celebrities we like, magazines we read – we can even get caught up on what’s trending in the news. What’s slowly happened as a result is us forgetting to use Facebook for what it was created for – connecting. So the next time you see a friend post a status asking for help, announcing a new job promotion or maybe even complaining about their day, comment on it. Let them know you care by showing them they haven’t been lost in your news feed.
READ MORE: 5 WAYS TO PRAY FOR OTHERS ONLINE
3. Share charities and causes you follow with others
One of the great things about sites like Twitter and Instagram is the ability to plug into organizations and programs you wouldn’t have ever known about otherwise. Being able to share real-time updates on marches and fundraisers, photos of mission trips to other countries and posts announcing the launch of new campaigns are just a few reasons why the whole social media boom has been beneficial to companies and charities doing great work. If giving back is something you’re passionate about, or if you just happen to stumble upon an article detailing a new ministry doing amazing projects you think people should know about, share it on your own feeds. Not only do you get the opportunity to promote goodness and change in the world, but you also might be able to connect a friend or follower to a cause and charity that may end up changing their life.
4. Follow inspiring people doing good work
One of the added benefits of social media is being able to track what some of the most important people in the world are doing and even converse with them. While celebrity Twitter rants and feuds usually make the news, there are plenty of great people quietly doing amazing things that you wouldn’t know about if you didn’t follow them on Instagram or visit their Facebook page every now and then. Identify the people and the causes that mean something to you and be sure to give them a follow. Having your news feed flooded with meaningful postings by people you admire can only bring inspiration in your own life and as a result, may propel you to do some inspiring deeds of your own.
