Social Media: Should We Delete People On Social Media If We Don't Agree With Them?

When one uses social media, there are likely to be moments when one of their friends says something that they don’t agree with. Or, if they don’t say something like this, they could share something that goes against how they see something.

Part of It

One way of looking at this would be to say that this is a normal part of using social media, and not something that can be changed. It is then going to be something that one just has to put up with.

When something like this takes place, it could relate to something another person has watched on TV, or who should have won a sports match. In this case, it is not going to be too controversial.

Another Area

However, if another person was to talk about what is taking place in the political arena, this is likely to be different. One could find that they have completely different outlook to another person.

And, while they could be willing to take a look into why someone sees something in this way, they might not be prepared to do so. Instead, they could feel the need to delete this person from their friends list.

One Direction

As a result of this, it could be said that they are not going to tolerate people who have views that are different to theirs. Said another way, they are only going to accept what people say if they say the same things as them (or something similar)

One could believe that they see the world in the right way and that the people, who see the world differently, have the wrong outlook. Therefore, through deleting people who have a different outlook, their time on social media will be far more fulfilling.

Instability

If they were to leave these people on their friends list, it could result in them feeling angry or upset when they use social media. Their wellbeing would then be destroyed, and they would need to be on guard at all times.

Through having this approach, they could spend a lot of time deleting people, and even if they were to believe that they have deleted everyone who they disagree with, this is likely to be short-lived. Out of nowhere, they could end up seeing something that they don’t agree with.

It’s not fixed

This could come from someone they have recently added to their friends list, or it could show that one of their friends has changed their outlook. Either way, one will end up being exposed to a different way of perceiving something.

But even if this didn’t take place, it doesn’t mean that one won’t come into contact with opposing views when they use social media. There are bound to be moments when there is something trending that goes against what they believe.

Protection

If one of their friends was to say something they didn’t agree with, and they were to delete them, this would have felt like the right thing to do. After all, the only thing they will need to do in order to do this will be to touch a screen a few times.

And, if they were to feel bad after doing this, they will only need to think about how much better they will feel by no longer having to see what they say. Yet, while this will allow them to feel better in the short-term, it can stop them from growing in the long-term.

The Real World

In addition to this, if one was only friends with people who they agreed with, they wouldn’t have any friends. What this comes down to is that it is not possible to have the same outlook as another person.

This is not to say that there won’t be certain things that two people will agree on, but that there will be plenty of things that they don’t. Thus, if one has the need to delete people to stop themselves from experiencing inner discomfort, they might need to take a step back.

Two Sides

There is going to be a difference between looking into why another person has a certain outlook and then deleting them, and simply deleting someone for having another outlook. When the former occurs, they will have taken the time to think for themselves and to come to their own conclusion.

But when the latter takes place, it will show that they are being controlled by their emotions, and one is going to lose their ability to function as a conscious human being. It then won’t matter if what another person has said needs to be heard, as one won’t be able to hear it.

Put to the Test

As a result of this, one could believe that how they view something is the truth, but they won’t be willing to see if this is actually the case. Their priority will be to only accept information that proves they are right, and to dismiss anything that doesn’t.

One way of looking at this would be to say that it won’t matter if something is true or not; what will matter is how something makes them feel. If they see something and they experience discomfort, then what someone has said could be seen as being false, but if they see something and this doesn’t take place, it could be seen as being correct.

Conclusion

What this shows is how important it is for one to not allow their feelings to define whether they are friends with someone on social media. Instead of deleting someone, they could talk to them about what they believe, and this could even bring them closer together (that’s if this relates to a real friend).
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Ultimately, one will grow through coming into contact with different information; whereas if they only pay attention to information that validates what they believe, this won’t take place. And, through being this way, they won’t end up losing all of their friends.

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Oliver JR Cooper
http://www.oliverjrcooper.co.uk/