{"id":15064,"date":"2020-08-03T10:29:03","date_gmt":"2020-08-03T10:29:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beejameditation.com\/blog\/2020\/08\/03\/weapon-eyes\/"},"modified":"2023-02-16T09:49:43","modified_gmt":"2023-02-16T09:49:43","slug":"weapon-eyes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beejameditation.com\/blog\/weapon-eyes\/","title":{"rendered":"The Negative Impact Of Social Media On Our Lives"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"15064\" class=\"elementor elementor-15064\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-62a80da7 elementor-section-full_width elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"62a80da7\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-653a711b\" data-id=\"653a711b\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ee084bb elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ee084bb\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.13.3 - 28-05-2023 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<p><em>A message from Will on collective stress and social media:<\/em><\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>It seems lots of people have been struggling in recent weeks, and there is a real sense of <a href=\"\\&quot;https:\/\/www.beejameditation.com\/benefits-of-meditation\/mood-swings\/\\&quot;\">collective destabilisation<\/a>, and so if you\\&#8217;re feeling any of that, please know that you\\&#8217;re not alone and that you will get through it.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>I\\&#8217;m also seeing it on social media, where the comments appear to be getting quite acute. It\\&#8217;s so interesting to observe the correlation between collective stress levels, and the amount of online antagonism that follows.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>As a culture, we\\&#8217;re absolutely rubbish at taking responsibility for our sh*t. We\\&#8217;d much rather vent it somewhere, blame someone and possibly even gang together and bully an easy target for some perceived indiscretion. This is particularly evident on social media platforms, where negative feeling sours many interactions.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ab62e86 elementor-align-center elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"ab62e86\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.beejameditation.com\/find-a-course\" class=\"elementor-button-link elementor-button elementor-size-sm\" role=\"button\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-icon elementor-align-icon-left\">\n\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fab fa-discourse\"><\/i>\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Find an upcoming course<\/span>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-200ad3e elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"200ad3e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- wp:paragraph --><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:heading -->\n<h2><em>Social Media &amp; Negative Behaviour<\/em><\/h2>\n<!-- \/wp:heading --><!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Unfortunately, this leads to a lot of weaponisation. When someone is feeling emotionally triggered, one of their defence mechanisms is to try and find any strand of complaint, even if it\\&#8217;s from years ago, and weaponise it to distract from their own shortcomings, and to avoid having to deal with their stuff. The ego feels the need to protect itself from an uncomfortable truth, and so it uses attack as the best form of defence. But at what cost? When we unfairly and emotively attack someone, it leaves an imprint on them that may scar them for life. Either that scar rears its head later on, and they find themselves venting that negativity onto someone else, or they put their barriers up to protect themselves, but often those barriers stay up long after the situation has died down and they\\&#8217;re not as emotionally available to others, and likely not to themselves either.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>This chain reaction of attack and defence then circulates throughout society, and we resort to tactics like passive aggressiveness, manipulation, or intellectual justifications for our so-called behaviour. And all the while, the emotional dominoes keep falling, and of course boomerang back to us before we\\&#8217;ve had a chance to catch our breath. It raises the temperature of our interactions, and instead of being a cooling influence on the dynamic, we may get sucked into the drama and add further heat.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>You see this a lot, not only with the phenomena of weaponisation, but increasingly with a phenomena you could call Weapon Eyesation. This is where people are more and more earnestly on the lookout for somebody who did or said something \\&#8217;wrong\\&#8217;, and then hitting them with a verbal or digital volley.\u00a0 It\\&#8217;s no longer overtly about defence&#8230;their situation is clearly so acute that they actively and hypervigilantly need to go looking for trouble, for something to raise their hackles and for them to be able to self righteously bring down their newfound adversary &#8211; often through a series of ill-thought-out tweets.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:heading -->\n<h2><em>Social Media &amp; Online Antagonism <\/em><\/h2>\n<!-- \/wp:heading --><!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>By constantly having an enemy. By constantly being engaged in some kind of battle, such a person never has to look in the mirror, and address what they\\&#8217;ve been avoiding for so long. It can actually get to the stage where they take a perverse pleasure in winding other people up. We can get a sense of feeling elevated, any time we put others down. But the sense of elevation is a very low grade, egoic one. Our heart doesn\\&#8217;t get elevated. Our true sense of self doesn\\&#8217;t get elevated. It is the faux, surface-level sense of self that we construct to win people\\&#8217;s favour and to try and earn their respect and love, that enjoys a momentary sense of inflation. But this house of cards rarely convinces us, or others of our true worth, and this uncomfortable truth eats away at us, and may cause us to habituate <a href=\"\\&quot;https:\/\/www.psychologytoday.com\/gb\/blog\/clear-organized-and-motivated\/201809\/should-we-stop-trying-win-arguments-social-media\\&quot;\">our toxic jousts<\/a> with others.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>So if you find yourself encountering such dynamics, maybe step back from adding fuel to the fire and contributing, and instead, use the situation as a mirror to see if there is any element of you that wants to get stuck in and ask yourself why.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Notice when you are feeling defensive, hostile, indignant, and ask yourself, what insecurities are driving this behaviour? Are you feeling hostile towards yourself? Are you feeling vulnerable? The first step to being a better human is owning what you feel. Use meditation, journaling and any other techniques you\\&#8217;ve learned to tune in to the underlying feelings that are colouring your thoughts, words and actions. And rather than amping up the situation by venting negativity on others, find a way to transmute the feelings by acknowledging them, and give yourself a break for not yet being the perfect human you seemingly wish to be.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Spread love, compassion and kindness, not criticism, judgement or hatred. As the hippies used to say, make love, not war. For when it comes to matters of love and truth, I\\&#8217;d rather be a hippy than a hypocrite.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Let this be a summer of love!<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Will xxx<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-b033e56\" data-id=\"b033e56\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-inner-section elementor-element elementor-element-3521784 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"3521784\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-0a60e31\" data-id=\"0a60e31\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f2fb739 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"f2fb739\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.13.3 - 28-05-2023 *\/\n.elementor-widget-image{text-align:center}.elementor-widget-image a{display:inline-block}.elementor-widget-image a img[src$=\".svg\"]{width:48px}.elementor-widget-image img{vertical-align:middle;display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"474\" height=\"212\" src=\"https:\/\/www.beejameditation.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/beeja-text-logo.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-723\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.beejameditation.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/beeja-text-logo.png 474w, https:\/\/www.beejameditation.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/beeja-text-logo-300x134.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c980f46 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"c980f46\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.13.3 - 28-05-2023 *\/\n.elementor-heading-title{padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title[class*=elementor-size-]>a{color:inherit;font-size:inherit;line-height:inherit}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-small{font-size:15px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-medium{font-size:19px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-large{font-size:29px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xl{font-size:39px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xxl{font-size:59px}<\/style><h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">The Benefits of Beeja Meditation<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-66de76b elementor-icon-list--layout-traditional elementor-list-item-link-full_width elementor-widget elementor-widget-icon-list\" data-id=\"66de76b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"icon-list.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<link rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beejameditation.com\/blog\/wp-content\/plugins\/elementor\/assets\/css\/widget-icon-list.min.css\">\t\t<ul class=\"elementor-icon-list-items\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-angle-double-right\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text\">Reduce stress and anxiety<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-angle-double-right\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text\">Greater clarity and calm<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-angle-double-right\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text\">Increase focus<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-angle-double-right\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text\">Enhance relationships<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-angle-double-right\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text\">Sleep better<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-angle-double-right\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text\">Feel energised<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-aa87740 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"aa87740\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"512\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.beejameditation.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/blog-02.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-901\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.beejameditation.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/blog-02.jpg 512w, https:\/\/www.beejameditation.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/blog-02-150x300.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A message from Will on collective stress and social media: It seems lots of people have been struggling in recent weeks, and there is a real sense of collective destabilisation, and so if you&#8217;re feeling any of that, please know that you&#8217;re not alone and that you will get through it. I&#8217;m also seeing it [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15633,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[19,17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15064","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-spiritual","category-topical-stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beejameditation.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15064","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beejameditation.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beejameditation.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beejameditation.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beejameditation.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15064"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.beejameditation.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15064\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15634,"href":"https:\/\/www.beejameditation.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15064\/revisions\/15634"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beejameditation.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15633"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beejameditation.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15064"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beejameditation.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15064"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beejameditation.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15064"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}