We've all been there. You log into your favorite social media site and rapidly forget what you even liked about it. Snark is rampant, jokes aren't funny, and your intelligence is insulted by nonsense meant to be taken seriously. It can be difficult to remember what you hoped to get out of social media, and it can be even more difficult to keep in mind that not everyone shares your goal. Most may not, actually.
Identifying what we're doing on a social media site may be a good idea. If you're reading this blog and have a Twitter account, for instance, you may have hoped to find people discussing UFO stuff online. Maybe you hoped you'd learn something about UFOs, or share some of your ideas with others.
Many hope to find like-minded people to talk about topics they find challenging to share with friends and family. Many such attempts result in a wide variety of online responses, ranging from over the top credulousness to caustic rebuttals. This is an inevitable part of social media interactions, and the sooner we accept it, the better. This doesn't mean we should accept abusive remarks, but neither should we expect emotionally safe behavior from dysfunctional keyboard warriors. Ya gotta step in some crap if ya wanna get to the barn.
We might take responsibility for seeking online interactions, and what type of interactions we're looking for. Are we looking for UFO contacts? What for, exactly? What do we expect to gain? What are we willing to contribute in return, and are we able to voice this?
I'm reminded of complications that frequently arise between UFO witnesses and investigators. Both parties often seem to think their intentions should be understood without having to state them. A more functional perspective might be that witnesses could intentionally identify what kind of assistance they are seeking, and investigators could be prepared to clarify what services they claim to offer.
Are we looking for a competent investigation, or are we seeking emotional support? The skills and resulting activities for providing such services could vary greatly. It would be helpful if we could accurately identify what we hope to gain from contacting a UFO organization or investigator, and questions we might ask to facilitate the process.
Similar might be said for swimming around social media. We would be wise to know what we hope to gain and how we intend to achieve it. Understand the inherent risks of emotionally leading with the chin in public forums. Choose your support systems wisely, as well as sources you identify as offering quality information.
Be kind to yourself and expect to make mistakes. They're signs you're trying. And identify what you hope to achieve. Otherwise, you'll never achieve it.
I’m afraid the ‘ UFO internet experience’ is like going to a carnival - and ‘politics’ is a full blown circus of BS , maybe some good cotton candy and pop corn and a few thrills but mostly just fun and games with little learned that will change reality in a positive direction - round and round we go ….everywhere the ‘sane center’ is being warped by tornadoes of extreme biased boxing matches - enjoy the thrills and return when bored for another branding and shoot out at the Flying Saucer Corral.
ReplyDeleteLuv this - “ Ya gotta step in some crap if ya wanna get to the barn.”
‘and you might trip sometime but u won’t be down long
just jump-on back up while u’re singing this song’
keep the faith !
Hi, mouse. I feel like the UFO internet experience has become the primary way people participate in the subculture. I think a variety of factors were involved, but the online 'community' far surpassed conferences, regional meetings, and other mediums as the preferred and most accessible means of following the plot lines. With it, the lead players changed and evolved, as well. Lots of social significance, IMO. Bottom line, I think, is it's another brick in the wall of the evolution of the UFO subculture.
DeleteWell stated.
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