Social media this, social media that.
“Social media is broken.”
“Social media doesn’t work anymore.”
“Nobody sees my stuff.”
Yeah… that’s me. That’s you. That’s probably everybody.
If you’ve ever been around me, you’ve heard me say it more than once. I’ve said it loud, said it under my breath, posted it, deleted it, reposted it. But tonight, or rather this early morning, 3:43 AM to be exact, I’m sitting out back, reflecting like I often do when the world is quiet. And it hit me.
Social media isn’t broken. We are.
Let’s call it what it is, we’re the users, the beta testers, the reactive generation. They provide, we respond. And yet somehow, we blame the system for our lack of connection, engagement, support, or “results.” But tell me this.
When’s the last time you watched a full video or post and didn’t like, share, or comment?
Let’s really sit in that.
You watched something all the way through, or at least 30 seconds of it, but said nothing, reacted not once, and kept it moving. Now imagine the person on the other side of that video feeling like their content doesn’t matter, like they’re screaming into the void. You’ve been that person.
“We’ve all been that person”
And yet the reason we don’t engage is almost always.
“Oh, I didn’t think about it.”
“I didn’t know what to say.”
“I was just scrolling.”
That’s the part that gets me. You watched it… but didn’t think it needed acknowledgment? Not even a double tap? That’s wild when you really think about it.
Now let me be clear, this isn’t a call to like and comment on everything you see. That’s not the point. I’m not saying turn into a content zombie. What I am saying is, if you genuinely watch or listen to something and get something from it; joy, thought, reflection, inspiration, and you scroll past it without showing any love… ask yourself why.
That’s a little practice I started doing myself.
It keeps me conscious. Keeps me real. And it’s how I even arrived at this blog.
Because when I do pause to reflect, I notice the pattern, We want support, but we don’t support.
We want reactions, but we don’t react.
We want to be seen, but we ghost everyone else.
And that’s what’s actually broken. Not the platform. Not the algorithm.
Us.
Now, where was I?
Ah yes… social media this, social media that…
Look, here’s my final thought before I catch some sleep (or sunrise)
Social media is a tool. That’s it.
It’s not this big bad machine meant to drain us of our purpose or make us doubt our value.
We shape it. We choose how to use it. And it becomes whatever we decide it should be.
So if you’re not seeing what you want from it, ask yourself, are you really giving what you want in return? Are you truly showing up for your people? For the creators you say inspire you? For your friends who risk putting themselves out there?
Because most of that support is free. Costs you nothing. Just a few seconds of intention.
And still, people act like it’s asking too much.
Why is that?
That’s a conversation for another blog, maybe a Soapbox session too. But for now, I’ll leave you with this:
A Quick Reflection Exercise
Before you log out or scroll off into the void, take 5-10 minutes to check yourself with these questions:
- Did I genuinely engage with something today that moved me?
If not, why not? - Am I giving the same energy I hope to receive?
Online and offline? - What’s my intention every time I open these apps?
Is it to scroll? To consume? Or to connect? - Who did I say inspired me, but haven’t supported recently?
Drop a like. Leave a comment. DM them. Doesn’t matter if they “need it.” Do it because you mean it.
If you’re only using social media to look cool or “keep up,” then maybe this post wasn’t for you. And honestly, we probably wouldn’t have had this imaginary conversation at all. 😅
But if you’re here, still reading, and you felt something from this, don’t just feel it. Act on it. That’s the only way we shift this thing we keep saying is broken.
Hope this helps,
– B
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