2) Social Media
I think it’s entirely possible that we (I absolutely include myself in “we”) have elevated the presence of negative stereotypes because of the presence of social media in our lives. Social media is a lifeline for SO many spouses. We use it to connect with friends and family across the globe, gain knowledge about military life, and garner support in our community from other spouses who understand some of our unique challenges.
But it also has it’s drawbacks.
The anonymous nature of online communication has empowered some people to spew negativity from their keyboards. And what I can tell you from years of working on digital platforms is that negativity spreads like wildfire, even when it is very much in the minority.
How many times have we scrolled right past a positive story about a kid starting a charity, but paused to read a headline about a celebrity behaving badly? Part of it is human nature, part of it is the nature of the Internet…but negative stuff seems to gain WAY more traction than the positive.
Knowing that part of it might just be that we now see negative stuff more frequently simply because social media has become such a big part of lives, can help us keep the comments in perspective. When I think about it, I rarely hear about these stereotypes in person…mostly online.
