You have value, fuck social media

A lot of words have been spent pointing out how social media is depressing as fuck, especially since we get this idea it means anything. Social media is healthiest when used as a tool for self-expression and not the unnatural tool of self-esteem.

Social media will kill your self esteem in no time, because there is no way to ever have enough feedback (especially for women).

I've managed to adopt a philosophy of "one +1" is great, because someone cared enough to click, and more than that is just gravy.

See, people have this warped view of "Likes." Ask yourself "Why do I click +1, and when? What motivates me to move my fingers and click the button?"

If you're normal, the answer changes from time to time, depending on your mood, depending on how tired you are, depending on the device you are using, blah, blah, blah.

That makes you normal. My point is that if you can recognize all the random, irrational, erratic and silly reasons you do - and so not - click +1, then you realize how little value it has. How pointless it is to give a crap about the number.

Focus on saying what you want, because you want to.

Here's a rule of thumb I have: multiply the number of Likes by 10 or 15, and that's a useful estimate of the number of people who have seen the post. That's the number of brains you have infected with your words. That estimate has a bit more value. I admit, it also feels better. I can't deny that. The numbers feel good, and fuzzy numbers feel better, because they are safer. E.g. "Well, only five people clicked +1, but that means 50 people saw it!" Accurate? Pft, I don't know, but I'm going to get the best mileage from this addiction to social media that I can, right?

Here's an example of what I mean. By most considerations, this is a good post. The kind that people out to bother to twitch their fingers for, right? Yet only TWO people bothered to twitch. And only TWO comments, potentially not even from the same people who Liked it. People are silly that way.

See what I mean about how absurd the whole thing is?  There are so many reasons to motivate someone to click somewhere - good "sticky" design - yet the responses are practically random - 33 "views," yet only 3 likes and 2 comments.  Plus, the poll has check boxes - and only 16 total boxes got checked - and obviously, some of those are duplicates.

So, basically, let's review:  "Likes" and "+1s" don't mean shit, because people are silly and lazy.