Social Media

Social media is a tool. The analogy has so often been given of the knife. A knife can be used to cut vegetables to make a nutritious dish. A knife can also be used as a weapon to inflict harm on others. So here we have the example of a tool that can be used for profound good or harm; it all depends on how it's used. We could even take a step further and say it's a matter of the consciousness of the person who wields the tool.

This is such a common sense example that it's easy to become bored with this and let our mind wander onto something else. But when people mention social media as a problem, it doesn't take a lot of reflection to realize that it's only a problem because of the way it is being used. It's like speaking. Is speaking a problem? If you're not governing your intentions and your mind properly, then yes.

There is also the situation of people who are trolling social media platforms because they are bored. In other words, they're not looking to engage with others in any kind of a life-enhancing capacity, they're just bored and therefore frittering away their time by reading the conversations and experiences of others.

So the decision about whether to abstain from social media or whether to engage fully comes down to whether it's enhancing your life and the lives of others, or whether you're just getting yourself into trouble.