Lessons for Social Media from Everyday Places
Before the feed and the scroll, we had street corners, skateparks, and laundromats; unassuming spots where life just happened. These places didn’t need filters or algorithms. They were our real-world comment sections, photo dumps, and group chats.
On the corner, we learned timing, patience, and how to jump into a conversation. You showed up with no agenda and left knowing someone better or at least their cousin’s latest drama. It was about presence, not performance.
At the skatepark, the language was movement. No one cared if you fell as long as you got back up. It was messy and loud and oddly beautiful. You didn’t need to go viral to earn respect. You just had to try.
The laundromat was different. Quiet, slow, and reflective. You sat, waited, maybe read or chatted with a stranger. Everyone had laundry. Everyone had a story.
These places taught us the value of shared space. They weren’t perfect, but they were human. They held space for vulnerability, repetition, and connection without needing to brand it.
On social media, we can forget this. The race to be polished, productive, or popular strips away the everyday magic. But maybe we should treat our feeds more like a skatepark!? Cheer others on, embrace the mess, and show up consistently. Or like a laundromat, make room for the quiet and mundane. Or even like a street corner, drop by, say something kind, and keep moving.
In the end, we don’t need to romanticize the past. But we can carry its lessons forward. Show up. Be real. Let the corners, parks, and laundromats of our lives remind us what connection really looks like.
