Social media is now part of the fabric of our daily reality, which on the whole, is a positive thing (I wouldn't have much of a social life without it). However, as with all technological advancements, there exists the potential for misuse.
Take the image above; at face value, it sounds good but if we examine the statement critically, it's easy to see that it's simply not true. The human memory, particularly in people who've suffered physical or emotional trauma, is extremely fallible. There's a reason why police and prosecutors build cases on objective evidence instead of relying solely on witness testimony.
This example is rather innocuous and probably won't do much harm, but other memes exists which stand to do real and lasting damage.
This one was no doubt created by some well-intentioned individual who feels that modern society relies too heavily on pharmaceutical medication and wishes to encourage people to find balance in a more natural way.
Here's the problem though, mental illness is very real. For many people, it results from a medically provable chemical imbalance in the brain and in those cases, no amount of frolicking in a forest will restore balance or peace of mind better than responsibly prescribed meds. The proliferation of this meme might very well alienate people from seeking much-needed treatment, and that's no help to anyone.
So, the next time you're about to hit "Share" or "Retweet", take a moment to consider the potential impact of doing so.
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