Society needs more individuals to take time out of their own life to do small, simple acts of kindness to make the world an overall better place.
We see a disgruntled, upset or frustrated person almost daily. Whether we are at the grocery store, somewhere at the university or with one of our roommates, there is almost always someone who seems to be having a rough day.
On the other hand, when was the last time you saw someone genuinely happy, doing service for another person, or going out of their way to do something for someone else? The truth is that it rarely happens.
In the world today, it is extremely easy to be wrapped up in your own life. Social media and other forms of technology are taking over the opportunities to do unplanned acts of service, so we hardly see people do nice things. The sad part is, this is exactly the opposite of what we need as a society. There simply aren’t enough people doing good deeds in the world today.
Everyone is stressed by the chaos life has to offer right now. The way we outwardly handle this stress affects the way others see us. There are too many people who seem to be too busy to take a break and think about how they can help.
Jobs never seem to stay at the office anymore, which can make life seem too suffocating to do more. Everyone is in need of help somehow, and they often aren’t getting the help they need. Simple acts of kindness like helping the elderly lift their groceries into their car or returning the cart at the grocery store are small acts that truly go a long way; it takes less than a minute to hold the door for someone, give a compliment or like a struggling individual’s post.
Between 2005 and 2015, depression rates have increased by 18.4%. As people are faced with daily depression and challenges, one way to improve their well-being is to serve others.
“Everyone is in need of help somehow, and they often aren’t getting the help they need.”
Brock Doman, DSN staff writer
Going out of your way to help other people brings out the best version of yourself. It gives you the opportunity to forget the problems you face and focus on others. Once you serve, you know your help is valuable and appreciated, and service is one way to alleviate some of the depressing feelings you may be experiencing.
Social media gives a whole new platform for people to choose which face to show. You never know who is in need of a compliment or even just a like on their post to change their mental state. There are plenty of opportunities online to give compliments, boost others’ confidence and praise them for their successes.
Most of the time, this is not the side of social media I see.
I see arguments, belittling conversations, and extremely critical opinions. Being a good person on social media shouldn’t be a hard thing to do. You could like a selfie instead of trolling, comment something positive as opposed to something splitting, and look for opportunities to be a better person.
With the end of the presidential election, we will see a greater divide within the nation since some may be either disgruntled or overly proud of the outcome. There is no reason to belittle someone because of their political beliefs, and we should do our best to be open-minded and know that others have different opinions than us.
If people were to simply focus on being a better person by serving others, going out of their way to help, and realizing there are other opinions, the world would be a better place. It is common to hear about the tragic, devastating and horrible things that are happening on news stations, while there are only one or two positive stories that are covered.
Let’s each do our part in looking to mow the neighbor’s lawn, cleaning up roommates’ messes, or doing something kind for someone around us, and who knows, we just may feel better after doing so.