I still believe in the good of social media.
I still believe in the good of social media.
This statement feels radical nowadays when the mere mention of social media typically draws a look of disgust and our government is trying to dismantle social platforms. But, I recently found myself welling up while scrolling through TikTok the other day, and it made me think about sharing the experience with all of you. It was an exciting one, not only because at that moment social media had done something truly good, but because I, someone totally unconnected to the situation, got to see it all go down and take just a tiny piece of that joy and goodness.
Let me explain:
A few weeks ago, a young woman named Maggie posted a video in memory of her father who had just passed. She told a story about how they had a special connection with Mandy Patinkin’s version of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” But not any version, specifically the one he sang on an episode of The Late Show with David Letterman. It was, in their eyes, the ultimate version of the song, and one they carried together with them. It was also the last thing they enjoyed together before he died. Maggie came to share her story as an open letter to Mandy Patinkin thanking him for the beautiful memories he gave her and her father and to remember her father in that special way. She did this not for any other reason than as an expression of her grief and to thank Mandy for the unknowing kindness he gave her.
But something magical happened.
This video, of just a young woman, sitting in her car, telling a beautiful story, started to travel. People started commenting, sharing their own grief for various people in their lives, and trying to help the video travel even further. It was suddenly the internet’s mission to make sure that Mandy Patinkin (who has a hilarious TikTok, btw) actually saw this video.
Well, the internet did its job alright. Not only did the video reach Mandy, but he also spoke on the phone with Maggie at length. Beyond that, David Letterman’s team saw the video, found that specific clip, and posted it in Maggie's honor. Just hours later, Maggie made a followup, telling the internet not only had she connected with Mandy, but that he was bringing her to one of his upcoming shows so she could hear the song live. She thanked everyone, and we all felt the kindness that total strangers had done for this woman who had just gone through so much.
If you’re cynical, which I can be, you can see a lot of greed in the motivations here behind the celebrities who became a part of this, both in David Letterman’s actions and in Mandy’s. You could, but you don’t have to.
Yes, I’m sure they got a halo effect of attention. But in the end, they did something kind that they didn’t have to. And a woman who otherwise would’ve suffered privately got to have a big support group to help her through grief. So yes, you could see the bad, but I still see the good, too.
Lesson Learned: For better or worse, social media is the great connector. Lots of bad things happen there and can come from them daily. But don’t forget the good stuff too, when social media works just the way it's supposed to and brings people together.
