The Autism of Social Media

Those who engage in social media are literally making themselves autistic. 

At least online they are.

Autism (I speak from experience) is the inability to read what others are feeling. The consequence is masking who we are by responding to others as we think they want us to respond because that's the safest response when we don't know how they are feeling.

Think of how you behave online. Do you know what others are feeling, or do you only know what they want you to think? In that vacuum of authentic personality, how do you respond? Are you honest and open, or do you post a mask of yourself, groomed and perfected, or maybe funny and blithe,  or well-read and intelligent, or just mean and nasty? A false personna dealing with other false personna.

Others behave autistically, and you have no choice but to respond in kind. 

And for what? A blast of dopanine? Is that worth it? Are they now your friends? Do you feel better spending time with them? Go look at your phones tally of the time you spend looking at your phone today. Do it now; I'll wait.

Okay, was it worth it?

Get off social media. Go visit a friend or aquaintence. Go out for food with them. Walk in the park. You know what to do, you just haven't done it lately. Go do it. They need your friendship as much as you want theirs.

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