Israel TherapyIsrael Therapy: How can I engage on social media without getting myself in trouble?
Before you post, take a breath, check your sources…..and take another breath
Opinions about the Israel-Hamas war are a constant on social media — should I weigh in, and if so, how? Graphic by Yoav Einhar
Editor’s note: Israel Therapy is a new column, and a forthcoming podcast produced in partnership with Reboot Studios, helping people grapple with personal dilemmas and emotional issues around Israel. Its host, Libby Lenkinski, is an Israeli-American who has worked around the conflict for close to 20 years and frequently fields questions from friends, colleagues and total strangers about how they feel about the latest news from the holy land.
Each column — and the future podcast — will surface a real person, their real problem, and Libby’s real advice,sometimes fueled by input from experts. If you need some Israel Therapy, send your dilemma to israeltherapy@forward.com.
The Patient: Jenny is a working comedian whose social media is important to her career. The content she posts on Instagram and other platforms often helps her get gigs, and definitely helps bring audiences to them. Social media feels like part of her work, not a side note.
The Problem: Since the war began, Jenny has been inundated with posts and requests to post that feel highly polarized and unproductive. Everyone is saying “get off social media” but Jenny doesn’t want to do that, and feels she can’t. Nor can she figure out what to post, or repost, how to “get it right.”
The Prescription: I understand that telling you to “get off social” is not helpful nor realistic. So I’ll try to help you navigate these shark-filled waters and also recommend taking breaks, digital detoxes for your own mental health and perspective.
There has been a vibrant and volatile social media conversation about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since … the beginning of the internet. My first piece of advice is to consider quietly where you are in terms of being a credible voice on this issue. Have you been vocal about it at other moments? Have you already developed a perspective that is coherent and consistent?
If so, how might you extend that voice into this moment? If not, how will your response to this moment shape your voice on this and other issues going forward?
If you’re not making original content regarding this issue, please be careful about who and what you are reposting. Start with people you know personally or have read that resonate with you and have their own credibility to draw on. Or maybe there are people you trust online who might be guideposts to where to find those sources.
I do not recommend sharing content whose source is unfamiliar. There is too much fake news, manipulative communications, and bad-faith disinformation on this topic.
One place to start is sharing the real lived experiences of people on the ground. I try to stay away from armchair commentary when I’m confused about what to think or what to say. Instead, I look to what the people closest to the action are saying online. Draw from their storytelling. When you veer away from real people and into theory and academic arguments, posts can easily become toxic and polarizing.
Finally, take a breath. In the world of social media, the only commodity is attention. The entire system is meant to funnel us into saying sensational things to get other people’s attention. We feel like someone has a time-clock and is noticing “if you haven’t said X by Y time, then you are a [warmonger, antisemite, etc.]” Ignore that.
Remember that this feeling of urgency is part of the platforms’ strategy, to get a lot of flashy hot takes out there that draw people’s attention to … their advertisers. Take a breath.
You don’t have to share the first hot take that pops into mind. Take your time, check your sources, talk to people you know about how they would feel if you said A or B. Make sure you feel you can stand by what you’re saying. Then take another breath. Then post.
Are you struggling with a personal dilemma regarding Israel and its war with Hamas? Send a query to israeltherapy@forward.com and Libby may reach out to you for a future column or podcast.
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