How to exist on someone's social media properly

How often do you use social media? If frequently, in what terms? Are you just a scroller or are you someone who actually sees it as a medium to continue socializing with others?

Whether you are millennial or Gen X-er, you must have surely come across at least one article that stated something like lonely or depressed people using social media often compared to an average person. Today, most people use social media to upload pictures of themselves or their lives to show how they are doing but that doesn't seem to make the viewers like us feel included, do they? It just doesn't seem to ask our opinion. Some of us might just leave a 'Like' and continue scrolling. And why would you not leave just a 'Like'? Why would you even leave a 'Like'? It's not like it has got something to do with you. But then, how do you stay in touch if you don't interact with their media even in small ways? And how do you cope with feeling alone or helplessness despite seeing so many people you have met but hesitating to ask them for help or even just saying 'Hello' after long time of silence among yourselves? We just can't keep letting our social anxiety restrict ourselves to our comfort zone, can we?

Allow me to to explain 3 ways you can ensure you and your friend or anybody on social media stay in touch despite the distance:

1. Make sure to interact: If you are friends with someone and spent time with them back when you were in same space, like high school or neighbourhood, then you should continue interacting them. Feeling shy? Especially after a long time of no "Hi's" or "Hello's"? Well, let's start with small things. They posted something nice on Instagram or Twitter? Give it a heart. They posted a story with a poll or MCQ or a slider? Play with it! This applies to even those people who have never met or have a mutual friend or just meet rarely. People really like it when someone likes their post and interact with their story. I follow people who I have never met but they post things about mathematics and Python which I really like so I don't resist interacting with them. The more we interact with them, the more they post and the more we get to know about them.
2. Don't just Like, React!: Facebook and LinkedIn now have options to react with more than just a Like. Use them. Likes are now boring. It doesn't describe anything. If I posted something about an achievement, would I prefer Likes or would I prefer Wow reactions? And this goes without saying but I definitely prefer Celebrate reactions on LinkedIn. I mean, come on! Show the OP that you can actually see how they feel and react accordingly. Likes can come from just sitting in the toilet or scrolling mindlessly. Show them you are not a Like Bot but an actual being with emotions (BTW, if you are in a relationship, make sure to Love react to your Significant Other's post). Same goes for stories. Nice view? Wow react. Sad story? Sad react. Instagram and LinkedIn provide various emojis to react with. So don't restrict yourself and show your feelings!
3. No Comments?: If you are good friends with someone on social media, commenting must be coming naturally to you. But if not, well worry not! After following Step 1, you must have developed some kind of similarity with them if you were strangers or just distant. You may have even started chatting with them too. So now, you can slowly start commenting on some of their posts without feeling shy. If they start posting something about an achievement or their first job or first car, comment 'Congrats' to them. Nice dress? Nice view? Say it. Don't feel shy. What if they posted something so you could compliment them? Same foes for stories. They posted some delicious food on their story? Say something nice like 'Looks Delicious' and perhaps even ask them about the location as a next-step in communication. You must learn to establish a more expressive communication with your friends rather than just Liking each other.

Bonus: It's ok to take a break from commenting and playing all the time as it can surely seem 'too much' sometime. After all, building a relation depends on who you are as well. Therefore, show the world who you are through social media. You should post something too. Not everyday necessarily. Perhaps, weekly, biweekly or some regular period. Use it to communicate with others in 1 post. But let others know who you are. Post a pic of skiing and say you enjoy skiing as your hobby. Post a story of raining and let people know you enjoy the petrichor. But use social media to let the world know you are not a nobody; you are somebody. Somebody the world can relate to and can trust you with similar interests.

Well, here are my thoughts about using social media properly. If you have followed the above 3 steps, you either gained a good friend or perhaps just an additional connection/follower/friend. To stay in touch, make sure to follow the steps all the time because it's all about communication. The more we continue to communicate, the more we retain the relation. That's how relationship/marriage work or, perhaps, just friendship in general. Eventually, you may start hanging out with your friend physically and often as well.

Don't let social media keep your 'friendship' distant and virtual. Allow it to be a medium for socializing. Let it be what it is: Social Media. Just remember, if you want to stay in touch with someone, show that you mean it through social media (as well).