There is something comforting about talking to people and anonymous way online. Think about this: when you work in the social media world you often have Facebook friends that you’ve never met “in real life.” That doesn’t make these people any less “real.” But there is a sense of an anonymity when you don’t know somebody in person. You are apt to reveal more information than you normally would. This is a good thing, in my opinion. If you’re having trouble getting words out about a difficult topic, do what works for you to help yourself find a way to express them.
For example, some people use anonymous chats for this purpose. Depending on the topic of the chat room you may share some commonalities with the people in the space. For example, some people use stranger chat to connect with other human beings who share the same hobbies or life challenges. It is inherent in human beings to seek connection with each other however that manifests.
Anonymous chats are great for introverts. People who are in their own heads tend to flourish in this environment. I’ve personally seen a lot of shaming towards people that connect with others through social media. I don’t understand this and I feel like however you make human connections is up to you. Whether that means going to an in person meet-up group or connecting with other people online; both of these things are a valid form of forming bonds with other human beings.
There are chats for people who are grieving, getting divorced or fun hobbies like fantasy football. These are all forms of the human experience. I think it’s best to balance your online life with having in person social interactions. Be mindful of how much time you’re spending on social media because like anything in life, you can be online in an excessive way. When you eat too many cookies your stomach hurts and it’s the same principle for social media. As long as you are paying attention to your screen time it’s all good.
It’s important to be open minded in our lives. Something that works for you may not work for someone else. The less judgmental we can be, the better for our well-being. Ultimately it doesn’t matter what someone else is doing because they’re living their life and you are living yours. Unless that person is doing something negative or harmful to you it is none of your concern what they are doing.
If an anonymous chat works for someone that you know and love, try to be supportive towards them. This chat may be helping them through a difficult time or perhaps it is providing them with enjoyment. Whatever the case may be, it’s important to support your loved ones. Shaming other people doesn’t do any good, and in fact it may prevent those folks from getting the help that they need. I would venture to guess that you don’t want to stop someone you love from getting help.
Let’s try to help one another without judgmental attitudes. This starts by supporting what works for the people you love in your life.
A version of this post was previously published on huffpost.com and is republished here with permission from the author.
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