UNITED STATES—It is more dangerous than we think. We love to think that no matter what, social media is the greatest thing to man to ever be invented. Do I believe that? Not wholly, but it absolutely has its benefits. How so? You are able to connect with people, and at times it can help you locate people and things that have been lost.

Now the bad side of social media, everyone wants to be a star. I hate saying that, but it feels that way, especially in 2025. Why? Everyone has a phone, and everything just has to be captured; everything they are doing and posting it on Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, Twitter aka X (it will always be Twitter for me), and so many other platforms. People who are easily influenced by social media and influencers in particular suspect what they ‘SEE’ is the real thing.

Here is the problem; it is not. More than 75 percent of the things you see on social media is presenting a false pretense. With Artificial Intelligence (AI) being put into the mix, you really have to question everything that you are witnessing. The thing I hate the most about social media is the amount of vitriol so many people spew. It’s like the level of hate, rage, abhorrent rhetoric, racism, sexism, homophobia is just beyond disturbing.

I have said this before, and I will say it again; most people ONLY say this stuff on social media because they are behind a computer screen. If they were forced to say some of the things they say on social media in front of people live, it would NEVER happen, I mean never. Why? People don’t have the actual guts to stand in their truth and I’m starting to see why more and more people are checking out on social media platforms.

It is not great for your mental health to indulge in such depravity at times, and it feels like some people love to spew the negativity because they want to get a reaction with others. Hate to say it, that is just sad, and I mean sad if that is what motivates you each and every day when you get up in the morning.

Could the day arrive where social media becomes a thing of the past? I don’t think so, but I would love to see improvements where behavior becomes a bit more positive. It’s a cesspool and when you have people being bullied online so much to the point that they commit suicide, that is NOT good.

We need to really need to find a way to reinvent social media so it’s not just a lifestyle platform, or a place to voice toxicity, but something used to communicate and make more positivity evident in the world.