I’ve never liked the idea that Facebook only has a “like” button. If there is any place in which I dislike things, and would like to show it, it’s on Facebook.

• the political post which is clearly wrong
• the whiny statement from an old classmate
• anything with cats

If I had founded Facebook there wouldn’t be a “like” button, just a “dislike” button.

Yet what if Facebook is right?

What if it is a better social media strategy to only interact with what you like? What if you shared, liked, promoted and interacted with only the things which you like?

• No debate.
• No rebuttal.
• No snippy replies.
• No lengthy diatribes.

If you like it, interact with it. If you dislike it, ignore it.

What if we moved this strategy beyond Facebook?

What if we tried it with co-workers? Friends? Spouses?

Obviously it can’t be a universal scenario. There are times in which we must speak about our disagreements. This is no way to raise children. But what if it is a strategy to use more often?

What if I tried to ignore more of my children’s minor mistakes? What if I worked harder to highlight their achievements?

There seems to be two benefits to this strategy:

1. People are more likely to be influenced by the positive than the negative. When was the last time a Facebook fight was productive? Has your mind ever been changed? Have you ever walked away from a give and take and thought, “I’m glad I did that”? I doubt it. Generally speaking, social media fights don’t change minds. They might sharpen our opinions, but they don’t change them. People aren’t changed by fights because when we feel attacked, our number one goal is self-protection. Yet, we are changed by positive interactions. When someone interacts in a positive way, we are more likely to open ourselves up to new ideas, differing opinions, and other possibilities.

2. Training ourselves to see the positive will cause us to see more positive. Have you ever noticed after you buy a new car that cars with the same make, model, and color are all over the road? Before you bought it, you never saw it, but as soon as you make the purchase, the car is everywhere. Obviously, it’s not that everyone runs out and buys the same car as you. What has changed is your perspective. You have trained your eye to see a certain type of car and now you see it everywhere. The great danger with playing the “dislike” game on Facebook, Twitter, social media or any circumstance in life is that it trains our eyes to see the negative. See one negative and it’s not hard to find another. See two negatives and the third will appear. See three negatives and the flood gates of negativity will open. We will see whatever we look for. Look for the negative and you will find it. Seek the positive and it will appear.

Try this for a week. Refuse to fight, respond, or interject your opinions on things which irritate you on social media. Use all your energy to promote things which are positive, important, worthy of your support.