Everything you think about someone online is an assumption. Most people know this, and yet we use social media as a way of finding information to confirm our beliefs. You may look for people who fit into your worldview, whether it’s about raising kids, relationships, religion, social mores, etc. And when you encounter those who don’t share your view, there may be a tendency to react and get defensive. Of course, you’ve seen behavior online that you would deem unacceptable, like belittling others, name-calling or acting holier than thou. Or maybe you have felt emboldened to say something on social media that you would never say in real life. How consistent is your online life with your offline one?

Social media reflects how strong our beliefs are. Maybe you compensate for your belief that you’re an outcast by sharing a group photo. Or you may post a photo of yourself at some swanky party if you believe you will never be successful. But how does that feel afterward? And how does it feel when you judge someone else’s posts harshly? Social media is a great tool for triggering those emotions and digging into them. But think what would happen if we all stopped being chameleons and conducted ourselves the same way online as we do offline.