Modern communication is exhausting.

I could fill a book ranting about this subject.

I'm here because social media is a hellscape of willful ignorance, bad faith arguments, trolls, bots, way too many advertisements, misinformation, corny AI videos, and constant outrage. It's overwhelming and mentally draining.

True connection has become so difficult.

For this introvert, it's a hard pill to swallow. Chat rooms and message boards were where I lived in high school. I didn't have a social life, but I could talk to people all over the world with a computer and dial-up internet. Writing has always come easier.

Now, we communicate more than ever, but it is often fraught with negativity. People read/listen to argue, not to understand. We're always waiting for our turn to speak. I think a lot of people are desperate to feel heard and seen, and that need coupled with strong emotions and defensiveness over identity has brought some ugly results.

Apparently, Stephen Covey is a bit of a polarizing figure, but I always liked this habit for highly effective people:
"Seek first to understand, then to be understood."

I've learned a lot from people; even the caustic ones. Most of my time online is spent observing others' perspectives and experiences, but absorbing so much suffering takes a toll. Whether you're living it or witnessing it daily, I can't believe we were meant to hold so much pain all at once.

Still, I'd rather be aware. How can you help if you don't know what's happening? How can you make informed choices?

The United States is a highly individualistic, self-centered society. That is by design. The communication styles we are subjected to now by powerful and wealthy people help facilitate that separation and lack of empathy. You can see the effects of it daily in comments sections; for example:

"I shouldn't have to pay for other people's food/healthcare/education/etc."

I'm not going to dive into why that mindset is not doing us any favors as a country, at least not in this post. At this point, if anyone's still reading then I am probably preaching to the choir.

The point is, we're kept at each other's throats on purpose, and I think we all know this. Social media has become a weapon.

Is it all bad? No. It has almost become necessary if you don't want to feel cut off from all the people you care about. And, if you're anything like me, some of the best people you know are people you met online.

Using social media is like going to the beach and getting sunburned every time, no matter how often you re-apply sunscreen. It's taking a toll.