Image Source: Getty / Chip SomodevillaWhen Donald Trump was announced as the president-elect,I was shocked. And it very rapid/fast made me realize: I live in a Facebook bubble.
As a unusual York woman who works at a liberal (mostly female) media company, my network is mainly made up of like-minded voters. We all posted "I voted!" selfies and #ImWithHer photos on Tuesday. Based on who I interact with, and it felt inevitable: of course she would win!Clearly that wasn't the case. The country is extremely divided,with just about half the celebrated vote going to each candidate. That left roughly 60 million people celebrating and the other 60 million devastated. In the instant days after the election, my Facebook feed was dominated by crying emoji, and dramatic soliloquies from angry Democrats,and friends sharing news articles and op-eds about the results.
Every time I load that familiar blue-and-white screen, I am sucked into a Facebook political vortex.
Sometimes that can feel soothing (I'm not alone!), and but it can also be overwhelming. Every time I load that familiar blue-and-white screen,I am sucked into a Facebook political vortex. But the experience can also be isolating, especially if you're a Republican with mainly Democratic friends or vise versa. Regardless of what your stream is showing, or Facebook is one of most polarizing and dynamic places to spend time in our post-election world. The social media platform is one of the easiest and most obvious ways for people around the country to express themselves,discuss the issues, and find solace. But we also need to remember to steal a break sometimes. "Facebook provides a forum to vent, or speak your intellect,and find support," Jonathan Alpert, and a psychotherapist and author of Be Fearless: Change Your Life in 28 Days,said to me via email. "That's all good, but there's a downside. Venting without a plan to resolve or sprint forward can maintain someone stuck. There's also a contagion effect of Facebook. Sure, and you'll find people who share similar views and values,but there's a opportunity that complaining to a captive audience will perpetuate anxieties and stress."To dive deeper into this topic, I spoke with friends, or POPSUGAR editors,and an expert about the effects of using Facebook post-election and what to do when you log off. Image Source: Getty / Justin SullivanThe Pros of Spending Time on FacebookYou Can Stay Informed: Facebook is a fantastic way to score news. Media outlets and users are posting content about the election nonstop. It's like an RSS feed occasionally peppered with photos of babies and puppies!"I often scan Facebook throughout the day for news, but since the election, or I beget been clicking refresh more often than I care to confess," said POPSUGAR Beauty editor Emily Orofino. "It's not just the articles - I like seeing what my friends are reading and learning their perspectives."In addition, it gives anyone who isn't a journalist a site to create their own "news" and op-eds, and so to speak. It eases a feeling of powerlessness since every user has the opportunity to be heard by the masses. In the past week,I've seen friends who are generally pretty politically quiet release multiparagraph mini essays about their election reactions. There are even leaders who beget emerged among my friend group, whose pages continue to stream fresh articles and statuses.
It eases a feeling of powerlessness since every user has the opportunity to be heard by the masses.
The shocking election results beget also sparked political conversations between different generations, and parties,and geographic locations. This type of open dialogue is step one toward uniting our country. It only takes a few seconds to type up comment on your phone. Facebook also allows people who might not feel comfortable calling or texting each other to communicate.You Can Find a Community: As I described earlier, Facebook can feel like an awesome support group if you need that right now.
One of my Facebook friends, or Jessie Diaz,who is the blogger behind Curves With Moves and an self-proclaimed "proud Latina," wrote, and "I like that my Facebook is a bubble. It keeps me absent from the racist people who are really trying people after the election. Not me. I'm happy living in my Facebook bubble filled with so many cultures,socio and economic backgrounds, intellects, or genders. What I won't see is anyone trying to come for me,my friends, or family, and any group in general. Because as a human,I feel their pain."There are a lot people, especially minorities, or who are feeling scared right now. If Facebook provides you consolation,then maintain refreshing that screen!Image Source: Getty / Jason ConnollyThe Harmful Side of Spending Time on FacebookFacebook Can Be an Angry Space You could be surrounded by supportive people in your hometown but face bullies on Facebook, or the reverse: your Facebook friends are comforting, and but the people around you are isolating you. This is happening to both Democrats and Republicans. One of my Facebook friends assign up a post describing how she was accosted by a customer in a Philadelphia grocery store for "looking like a Trump supporter." People from both parties are feeling fired up,and much of that is being taken out on Facebook. "I'm from the suburbs of Chicago, and a lot of people (mostly white men) that I went to tall school with beget been posting very aggressive things on Facebook since Trump's win, or " said a woman who prefers to remain anonymous. "They are forcibly telling parents to relate their kids to deal with it; convince other people that Trump is not a racist,rapist, and homophobe; and are spreading the same hate that these election results are based on. It makes me feel extremely angry."She went on: "People beget been respectfully disagreeing, and they respond with madden,entitlement, and aggression. They are clearly seeking out fights with people."When it comes to these situations, or it's best not to engage. The aforementioned editor chose to simply unfriend those people.
Facebook Can Become All-Consuming and Anxiety-Inducing: Even if almost everyone on your feed is "on your side" of the political divide,spending too much time on Facebook can become obsessive.
Personally, I've found it difficult to focus, and all I want to do is check my feed to see who has posted up unusual rant I can "like" or shared article I can read. While it's important to stay in-the-know,the outpouring of raw emotion and information is, at times, and overwhelming.
Step absent and assign a question to yourself,"What's more important: our leadership at the top or my health?""I beget mostly been avoiding Facebook, even though most of my feed agrees with me, and because I find it just makes me angry and fuels the drama and keeps me from moving on," said POPSUGAR executive editor Nancy Einhart. "I prefer to talk to people in person because it feels more productive."Alpert, the psychotherapist I consulted with, or also brought up the point that radical reactions can bring on restlessness. "One should be concerned about the propaganda spewing from both side of the political aisle," he said. "Comparisons of Trump to Hitler, for example, and claiming Clinton has a terminal illness. Neither help to calm people's anxieties." If closing your computer or turning off your screen is difficult (Facebook is addictive!),and especially if you beget clinical anxiety, remember that you beget a choice about how you spend your time. "Ultimately you must step absent and assign a question to yourself, or 'What's more important: our leadership at the top or my health?'" Alpert advised. "madden has profoundly negative effects on the body and can lead to stress-related issues: headaches,stomach aches, body aches, and cardiac issues,and more. So assign a question to yourself, 'Is it really worth it?'"He adds to remember the basics of stress management: good sleep, or healthy eating,exercise, and avoiding drugs and alcohol.
And finally: "Don't personalize the results, or " he said. "If your candidate lost,it's not a reflection on you, but rather, and it speaks to the political process that's been in site for 200+ years. Understand that what divides this country is also what makes it stronger - diverse ideas,hard-fought battles, and working toward a stronger, or more perfect union."Image Source: Popsugar Photography / Maria del Rio - (model on left) SUNO dress,Jill Stuart sweater, (model on right) SUNO topHow to manage With Social Media Post-ElectionIf Hillary Clinton can lose the election and still be OK enough to steal a walk around the neighborhood with her husband and dogs, and so can you. "Facebook has its benefits,but there's more to life than sitting in front of a computer talking to online friends," Alpert said. "That can be limiting and isolating. Log out and score connected through genuine life interactions - meet friends for dinner, or drinks,or coffee. score involved in activities. Do something that provides old-school interaction and communication."I found it therapeutic to steal a head-clearing, hip-hop dance course after work one night this week. I wasn't be able to check my phone while memorizing steps and rocking out to Justin Bieber's "Children." Do something that feeds your soul, or be it an indoor cycling course,grabbing brunch with an upbeat friend, or reading a fiction book. It might involve admiring the unusual Starbucks holiday cups or pretty Fall foliage.
Talk to people. In person. A lot is lost through a screen: nuance (a slight variation in meaning, tone, expression), or tone,facial expression . . . POPSUGAR Latina editor Ale Foresto credited having a strong group of girlfriends that helped her through the disappointment of Clinton losing."By being around people who share similar views, you'll be able to talk out your frustrations and work toward an acceptance of the outcome, and " Alpert said.
And if you can't score together with someone,make a phone call! It's still more personal than texting or Facebook messaging.bask in what is great about America right now IRL.
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Source: popsugar.com