How to beat the bad side of social media – with Manuela Fantini

You often talk about the dark side of social media (pressure, nastiness, haters etc) what can you tell us more?

Let’s be realistic: you understand that you are on the right track when you no longer go unnoticed, when every move you make seems to have more weight than it should, for better or worse, and the responsibility of what you do increases because your words have a greater echo than your own voice. In the last 2 years, I have had a few episodes that have made me reflect on how people are incredibly dissatisfied with their life, how they’re so mad with the entire world. The thing they want is to tell this to anybody who can hear them and most of all blame someone else for their misery. How many people are frustrated and disappointed, but they still repeat the same actions that drove them to where they are. Many of us desperately need to cling to something, an excuse, an idea, an illusion just to think they can get out of unpleasant situations, instead of using their energies to really get out of them. I know that feeling, I know that rage building inside you, unleashed by the most stupid things, that makes your hands shake and takes your breath away, that makes you want to hurl yourself at someone, even if you barely know them, and it seems to drive you crazy if you don’t let her out. But you can’t be overwhelmed, you can’t let it win… just like I can’t tell you how to do it, I’m not a psychologist and I can’t put my nose in personal and private matters of people.

“But I feel like saying this:”

You cannot throw this rage against people you barely know, you cannot feel protected by a screen and give a voice to everything that goes through your mind. You can’t, it’s enough, no ifs and buts. You are not talking with a machine, with a phone, or with a robot, you are talking to a person, who maybe is imperfect and wrong or simply has a different point of view from yours; but have you heard the news? that’s fine!

It’;s the world, baby, it’s life, are you sure you want to fight against it? Listen to me, you never win.

How has this affected your work?

Although I have always been a polite, empathetic, and well-mannered woman, I am not a carebear. If you use me, if you take advantage of me, if you make fun of me, if you lie to me, if you offend me for no reason, if you don’t respect me, and if you disappoint me, you’re out. Out of my world, out of my life, and obviously out of my profile. It seems nonsense but the “block” button it’s a great thing! I write this article on my blog which is public and visible on Google precisely because I know very well that on my social platforms many people may never see it. Respect and sincerity always come first for me. Because I know very well that a screen is not a protection for your inner ugliness, on the contrary, it turns into a mirror: IT REFLECTS IT.

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