Social Media has become an intricate part of our lives. Prior to 2006, it was barely thought of! We spend much of our time on social media and it’s become the best way for us to communicate with one another and to stay in touch with family and friends. The younger generation can’t even imagine life without social media!

We are hooked on Facebook and Twitter, and the like, because of the things we LOVE, obviously. I’ve presented the question, “What do you LOVE/HATE to see on social media?” to friends, family, acquaintances, and followers on my Being Aunt Debbie Facebook page and received quite a few responses!

Here’s a rundown of the things we love to see on social media:

1. Animals – Who can resist a cute or funny animal? Pets are definitely irresistible! We have all had a pet (or pets) at some time in our lives. Our pets are our buddies, our little furry family members, and they are quite entertaining. It’s always fun to see other people’s pets being silly, or oddly captioned photos to make us laugh. It’s quite lovely to see photos of rare and exotic animals…and those not so exotic, too.
2. Photos of family and friends – We love keeping in touch with family and friends on social media! We can see our loved ones on vacation, our grandkids’ at their birthday parties, our kids with their spouses, our long lost cousins whom we’ve not seen since we were teens, our brothers and sisters who moved too far away to see often, and we learn of new additions to our families! We see these photos without having to wait for the mailman to bring them! It’s the best way to keep in touch and check in with our loved ones and close friends.
3. Funny stuff – Funny photos, memes, stories, puns, jokes, comics, cartoons…. We love to be entertained and the best way is through laughter! I think most people will catch themselves laughing aloud, even when all alone! I know I do!
4. Babies – Who doesn’t love a laughing baby? Or a baby learning something for the first time? Babies turn adults into giant goof-balls! Babies can make us laugh and can offer up more love than can be imagined! There’s just not much better than a baby!
5. Acts of Kindness – We love to see stories of acts of kindness because this world is so full of hatred and anger. We love to see one human being doing something nice for another human being with no strings attached. It doesn’t happen often as it should, but we love those feel-good stories that make us realize there are still good people in this world.
6. Special Needs/Overcoming Obstacles/Empowerment – We love to see stories about special needs kids and adults overcoming the greatest of hurdles in life. It makes us feel that we aren’t a lost cause. “If they can do it, so can I.” It helps us face the shit in our own lives with a bit more hope and fervor. We love stories of triumph and courage. We love to see others just like us accomplishing the impossible. We love to see stories of underprivileged people finding opportunities to make changes in their lives. There’s so much suffering and hardship in this world and when people find strength and courage to improve their lives or the lives of others, well, that just makes us all a little more hopeful and maybe even a little stronger.
7. Inspirational Quotes – We love to be inspired to write, to be kind, to be more creative, to study harder, to be more understanding, to be less judgemental, to declutter our homes and our lives. Inspiration comes from many places and sometimes it’s just a little quote that gets us moving in the right direction.
8. Spirituality – We may or may not be religious but most of us are spiritual in some way. Spirituality gives us a purpose, a direction in life. We are constantly looking for truth and oneness with self. We love to learn of different spiritual paths and practices. We love the search for enlightenment and the mysteries of life and nature.
9. Interesting and Educational – It’s just human nature to want to learn. Today, with internet access we have a “library at our fingertips.” We can learn just about anything by doing a simple search. Social media gives us an opportunity to learn about many things from some very informed people about hundreds upon hundreds of interesting subjects.

Now the fun part! Things we HATE seeing on social media:

1. Political Tirades – Seriously. Most of us don’t care what others’ political views are! Everyone has an opinion. We don’t want to know yours unless we ask. Besides, no one can debate a topic these days without name calling and LOGIC.
2. Religious Beliefs – Religion is a personal choice. People have their own beliefs. Most of us don’t like having someone else’s beliefs (or judgments) crammed down our throats. We will ask you about your religion if we are interested.
3. Rhetoric, Lies, and Conspiracy Theories – We hate it all. Do some research and stop spreading BS. Just because something seems “odd” or perhaps there’s not been any info officially released about something doesn’t mean it’s a conspiracy. Shit just happens sometimes. And sometimes, the public isn’t privy to all information.
4. Hate/Intolerance – We hate intolerance, of any kind. Anyone who hates ANYONE for being different is just an asshole. Plain and simple. Skin color doesn’t matter. Religious beliefs don’t matter. Sexual orientation doesn’t matter. Intolerance is wrong!
5. Internet Trolls – We hate those buggers. You know what I’m talking about because you’ve either been disrespected by one or you ARE one. We hate trolls because they stir up trouble. They provoke us into arguments. They don’t seem to have anything better to do. My advice: DO NOT ENGAGE!
6. Narcissistic Selfies – We hate the duck-faces and shirtless men showing off their physique dozens of times a day with photos of every stinkin’ thing they do, all day long. Anyone have a barf bag?
7. Bullying – No one likes a bully and most of us with any common decency will smack down a bully any chance we get….sometimes “smack down” literally. We will stand up to a bully and protect those being bullied. We sure don’t like seeing it on social media.
8. Shame/Blame – We don’t like seeing other people blamed or shamed. If someone dresses differently, if they’re overweight, or just don’t act the way others think they should, they don’t deserve to be shamed. We don’t like the “The Blame Game” either. If you’ve got a problem, do something to fix it and stop blaming others.
9. Animal/Child/Spousal Abuse – We hate the acts of violence on children, animals, and women. We don’t want to see graphic photos of a beaten child or a beaten animal. It just hurts too much. That doesn’t mean we don’t care but seeing a photo isn’t going to change anything. Most of do what we can to support these causes, but we don’t need to see photos to get us to help.
10. “Repost if” /“Type Amen if you agree” /“I know which of my friends will read to the end and repost” types of posts – We hate those types of posts because they are worthless. If you feel strongly about something, reposting it on social media is NOT going to change anything. If you want to make changes then actually do something.

So, that’s the rundown of what I’ve discussed with others. Is there anything you really LOVE or HATE to see on social media? I’d love to hear about it!