WBC Biz and Tech#4 Life Lessons from Facebook

So we are talking tech, let me digress and talk social media because it is tech, right?. So when it comes to socials, Facebook is my daily bread and Twitter is that rare croissant that I rarely have.

This is my twelveth year of having a Facebook account. I’ve learned (and continue to learn) a lot of lessons on this social network, some good and some bad. Here is what I want to share with you:

1. Some of the most quiet people on FB are the most intellectually astute individuals there is. They don’t post or comment a lot, but don’t dismiss them as empty, Don’t dismiss anyone until you engage them beyond FB.
2. Some people’s ONLY reason for being on FB is to bring negativity and misery onto you. Like vultures, they sit waiting for you to update a post, and at all times, find an angle from which to attack or insult you. You must realize that it’s not about you. These are people who have miserable lives, and the only time they feel good about themselves, is when they make you feel bad about yourself. Never let such people get to you: block them or ignore their comments. You don’t need such people in your life.
3. You’ll meet some of the most loyal, loving and caring friends on FB. Get to know them outside the cyber space and build relations with them. You could find diamonds here, if you search deep enough.
4. For some people, FB is a weapon of war. They use it to destroy organisations, to sow seeds of division and to collapse anything progressive. Realize that you cannot reason with such people; they cannot exist in a harmonious space. Isolate them.
5. Not everyone will like you and often, it’s people who have never met you who will dislike you most. It’s actually okay.
6. Effectively used, FB can open great opportunities for you. Some of the most influential people and institutions have FB accounts. You could influence their thinking and their work by simple posts. Keep that in mind at all times.
7. FB has the potential to induce laziness. Reading other people’s posts can become a substitute for not reading books/documents/doing research of your own. Guard against this.

Actually I realized this in 2017 when I fell ill. A fundraiser for my rehabilitation was started and yes friends came on board but people I had never met who used to read my posts. I tell myself that perhaps, I had crafted an online character. What started as friend requests has turned into life long friendships.