My Love-Hate Relationship With Social Media

I have a complicated relationship with social media, and I don’t think I’m alone in that.

The love part is real. I get to connect with people who follow me, actually talk to them, hear what’s going on in their businesses and their lives. It’s also one of the best creative outlets I have. There’s something satisfying about putting a thought into the world in sixty seconds instead of six hundred words.

The hate part is real too, and it’s not what people usually assume. It’s not the algorithm. It’s not the numbers. It’s the way a screen gives people permission to say things they’d never say to a person’s face. Anonymity turns some people cruel, and I don’t think that’s good for my psyche, or for anyone’s psyche who spends real time out there.

A year ago I stepped back from posting anything light or funny. I wanted to be taken seriously, so I kept things focused on the work. Somewhere in that stretch, the toxicity started weighing on me more than I let myself admit.

So I started again. Silly branded posts, the kind that don’t take themselves too seriously. Not to chase engagement, though it turns out people respond to them in a big way. I brought them back because I needed something on my feed that felt like play instead of performance. Something that protected my own peace a little.

I still love this space. I still hate parts of it. Both of those are true at the same time, and I’ve stopped waiting for one of them to cancel the other out.