We all need a little online validation once in a while. 

If you’re like me and you’ve lived most of your life online, then you’re probably used to seeking validation there. You’ve learned this when you first posted on Instagram when you were in middle school, and you saw the likes come in. It was the start of a dangerous game. The dopamine you get from getting attention at the touch of your fingertips is a good feeling that’s hard to shake. The second it’s over, you’re just left wanting more. But this can lead to a negative feedback loop of constantly looking for attention where you’re not going to find it. We all have to be more OK with the regular mundanities of life, and not always be searching for the next best thing. But can we blame ourselves for falling into this trap? It’s what this technology was set out to do in the first place. 

tBut we can express our need for validation in healthy ways. I personally do this by tweeting at my audience of exactly 0 people. If I get two likes on a tweet, then I’ve done something amazing. I don’t expect any response to my musings, but that doesn’t stop me from doing them. I’m not doing it for the dopamine rush or the attention; I’m just creating because I love to create. And sometimes you just need to tweet, and there is no other place for your expressions. These tweets all come from people who tweeted for the love of the game.