Why do we need social media to validate our compassion?

There was a time when we didn't have the internet or social media yet people cared about social and political issues, they were able to express their concern and impact change.  So this begs the question; why do we have to post on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and other social media platforms in order to demonstrate our concern?  Why is it that if you don't post about an issue on these platforms it means that you don't care?

I'll use myself as an example and some of my friends may read this and say to themselves what was he thinking posting this, his partner is getting involved in social media and he just handed himself up! Well, here goes!

I really haven’t posted opinions on political (and other) issues on social media since January 2018 (hold on let me finish and I’ll answer what some may be thinking).  As I said some believe that you have to post an opinion on social media about issues and if you don’t it’s because you don’t care.  I care about issues and things happening in society, my not posting has nothing to do with a lack of concern.

Over the past few years people allowed politics and social media to take over their morals, take over their ability to respect others and their ability to control their anger. 

From time to time my partner would express concern with me about the anger some spewed, she was also concerned about my suffering some sort of retribution from those that didn’t like what I posted.  As time went on some people’s anger got to the point that I would receive hostile messages, when we would go out my partner would ask if I was carrying my firearm (I was active law enforcement at the time).  She knew that I love engaging in discussions on issues but her concern and worry finally reached a point last year that my partner asked me to stop posting on politics and some other issues on Facebook.  After a particular incident she called 3 times within 90 minutes, at first asking me to stop and by the third call pleading with me.  I tried to convince her that my friends maybe passionate about issues and disagree with me from time to time but there was no need to worry.  Those that had been hostile and vulgar weren’t friends of mine or people that I normally interacted with.

I finally had to face the fact that what I post, discussions and disagreements I had with people on social media was having an impact on her and agreed to stop posting.  Now here comes the part where I hand myself up.  After a couple of months I started making comments on things that others posted on Facebook and rationalized that I’m not posting, only responding to someone else’s post.  Yeah, I know it was BS.

During the past several months my partner has begun to get involved in social media and got to see for herself that she doesn’t need to worry about my friends response to things I express.  She has got to see that although we may have different political views on issues we will stand with each other in times of need and stand against violence.  My partner is now ok if I post from time to time, just asked that I be careful that someone (other than my friends) may be set off if they disagree with me.

This is a long way to say that I did not stop caring nor did I stop enjoying an exchange of ideas and varying points of view.  Our heart, our compassion and empathy for others didn't magically appear in us with the invention of the internet!  So I ask again, why do we have to post on social media in order to demonstrate that we care?  Why does our social media posts determine our humanity?

Maybe we should also pause for a moment and acknowledge that our social media posts have an effect of our loved ones even if that is not our intent.

That's my opinion, What's yours