Jonathan Bertrand

Living in a Social Media Persona Dominated World

By Jonathan Bertrand

In the wake of COVID-19, we’ve come to realize that a new day is upon us. As an African American male dealing with the pandemic as well as social injustice, it has been a stressful time. Having dealt with a near two-month lock down plus racial tensions, I’ve come to realize that the best thing to do is to either support the cause fear-freeand in relation to COVID-19, try our best not to live in fear. COVID-19 has opened my eyes to the reality that the term “friend” is used loosely. The stoppage of proper communication actually led to people temporarily filling in a void they never previously addressed.

Having dealt with anxiety in my early years, a sense of loneliness struck me duringthis pandemic, which triggered a lot of emotions that were either hidden orsoonsurfaced. After two months of lockdown I was at my wit’s end and had to take a threeday hiatus to another city two hours away, because my subconscious couldn’t take being inside the house 24 hours a day andnot being able to see people or communicate with people. Now, this is just the beginning of a transition that will soon become normal life. Yes, we can’t stop a pandemic from happening, but fear and misinformation wereall too prominent. Not having clear leadership on a national and international level made things a lot more difficult not just mentally and physically, but also financially.

For the last five years I’ve had an opportunity torun a foundation, www.SocialMediaAwareness.org, which explores how social media affects your mental and behavioral health and sadly, how it has impacted our lives as users. To see how social media is being used to target protesters and those who support them insolidarity was very disheartening. To know that social media is being used to take away free speech as well as target individuals who are frustrated and just want to express themselves opened up a new belief for me that our position in the world as American citizens has changed, and this shift is highlighted by how we handle pandemics. Police brutality and politics damage the very citizens who need the most help.

Having dealt with learning disabilities since a young age, I understand that the current situation shows that marginalized people can get caught into a new ideology or belief based on emotions, influences, and traumapast and current. Whether it’s a post online or place of origin or religious belief attacking someone verbally or physically, this isn’t the way to live and it isn’t the way to conduct ourselves as human beings.

So, for those who seek guidance on how to handle the current moment with the utmost urgency, I leave you with this: When you see something, say something, but also know your voice is powerful. You can make a difference for people with disabilities and create change. There is power in numbers. Don’t lose faith. There’s hope.

“One post can change the mind; one can change a generation.”

Jonathan Bertrand advocates for and discusses social media awareness in mental and behavioral health. He is a native of Orlando, Florida and enjoys traveling and learning about new cultures.