Protect your Heart and Mind

Hi readers, it's been a hot minute since you all had something to read. I apologize for not being as consistent as I was earlier in the year. I promise to do better from this point moving forward. Now on to today's topic, I am sure you are well aware of the tragedies that have taken place in the past week and some change. We have had not 1, not 2, but 3 different mass shootings in different areas of the USA. At this point, it almost seems like a never ending cycle, of shootings, opinions on social media, "thoughts and prayers", outrage of gun control, and then everyone moves on with their lives. The problem now is that some people are getting bold to even record themselves committing these murders for people to see.

It's getting to the point now where these shootings are becoming so common that many are becoming desensitized to them. I urge you to never become desensitized these kinds of atrocities. Mass shootings are not normal and they should never be normal. It's definitely not normal to sit there and watch them either. Social media and media in general has caused many of us to become callous to things that should move us. The influx of information, opinions, and graphic videos on social media makes it more dangerous to participate in.

When tragedies like mass shootings happen, I encourage you to take a small break from social media. Seeing all kinds of bad news can damage your mental health and cause your heart to grow cold. When we consume media, we view it as just media but it's important to remember that these are real lives, real humans like you and me. Now I'm not saying don't consume any news media because I understand that it is important to stay informed. What I am saying is to be mindful of the news that you are consuming. Take some time to unplug because some people will bring out insensitive points of views that will do nothing but annoy you and raise your blood pressure.

Here are some ways you can protect your heart and mind on social media:

1. Do not share/watch graphic videos I don't know about you all but after the murder of George Floyd, I couldn't bring myself to watch anymore videos where people are dying. Seeing people die on video and not on a movie scene really create a negative experience. Scroll past videos that have graphic content, do not entertain them at all.
   

2. Stay away from arguing Every time something happens and it spreads to social media, a lot of people tend to be quick to share their opinion without having all the facts. A lot of times, some of these opinions can be deemed insensitive. Also a lot of internet trolls with faceless pictures and 8 digits in their user name will try to argue with you. Do not entertain them by arguing back, You'll more than likely never win someone over online especially trolls.
   

3. Unplug from the Apps Sometimes the best things to do is to just get off for a bit. Talk to people in real life about the situation that is going on. Some discussions and sharing of opinions are best suited for group chats and not social media platforms.
   

4. Be a source of light If you need to be on social media, use your platform for good and not evil. Use it to uplift others and not bring other people down. There's already a lot of evil/negativity online, use your platform for good.
   

Hope these tools can help you protect your heart and mind while online.

Until Next Time,

E. Ibadin