The Power of a Click: How Social Media Can Be a Tool for Wonder, Not War
- Sarah Pirie-Nally
- Jan 27
- 4 min read
When I joined TikTok, I expected entertainment and creativity, but what I discovered was something far more profound: a community driven by collaboration, kindness, and mutual support.
From trends like the “teamwork” movement, where smaller creators band together to amplify each other’s voices (I gained 1K followers in a week), to the incredible adaptability shown by creators navigating censorship fears, this platform revealed the better sides of humanity in ways I hadn’t seen in years.
And yet, something has been simmering beneath the surface of this experience. Running ads to share The Wonder Mindset, I encountered responses ranging from heartwarming encouragement to outright hostility. Social media, for all its potential, has become a space where our best and worst tendencies collide.
It’s made me reflect deeply: What if the true power of these platforms isn’t just in the content we share, but in how we connect those lessons to our real, offline lives?
Social Media as a Mirror: The Bigger Picture
Social media is a stage that amplifies everything—our kindness, our creativity, and, yes, our wounds and fears. Running those ads, I realized that people respond to content not just based on what they see, but based on what they feel inside.
Some were curious, asking thoughtful questions.
Some celebrated the idea of curiosity, creativity, and wonder.
Others lashed out with anger or indifference, their comments revealing not a problem with the message, but an unspoken pain or frustration within themselves.
These reactions taught me something vital: social media isn’t just a tool for sharing—it’s a mirror reflecting our collective emotional states.
When we scroll or post, we’re participating in a ripple effect, influencing not just others but also ourselves.
But the danger lies in staying stuck in the digital realm, thinking that a comment or a share is enough. It’s not.
Bridging Online and Offline: Where the Magic Happens
If we truly want to create meaningful change, we need to take what we learn online and bring it into our offline lives. The power of social media lies not in its ability to go viral, but in its ability to inspire real-world action.
Here’s what I’ve learned:
Social Media is the Spark, Not the Fire
It’s easy to believe that a viral post changes the world, but real transformation happens when those ideas move beyond the screen. Wonder, curiosity, and kindness must extend to how we treat our neighbors, families, and communities.
Comments Can Become Conversations
What if we used the same energy we put into crafting TikTok comments or Instagram captions into starting meaningful dialogues offline? Whether it’s asking better questions at the dinner table or creating a safe space for honest conversations, we can bring the spirit of online connection into our everyday interactions.
The Ripple Effect of Real-Life Actions
Social media has shown me that small acts, like participating in the “teamwork” trend, can create a massive ripple. What if we took that same principle into the real world? A compliment to a stranger, volunteering an hour of your time, or simply listening without judgment can have just as much impact as a well-crafted post. Buying a friends online course, attending their events or their book launches, showing up and getting behind.
Mindful Consumption Leads to Mindful Action
One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned from The Wonder Mindset is the importance of self-location and intentionality. Before engaging online—or offline—ask yourself:
Am I acting from a place of kindness, curiosity, or fear?
Is this action contributing to the world I want to live in?
How can I use this moment to create something positive?
Social Media as a Laboratory for Wonder
Social media is, at its heart, a giant experiment—a place where humanity tests its ideas, creativity, and emotions. It’s where we learn how to engage with one another.
But if we don’t translate those lessons into our offline lives, we’re missing the point entirely.
This is why the Wonder Mindset emphasizes tools like the Wonder Mindset Check-In Tool and design thinking for connection. These frameworks encourage us to take the intentionality of online interactions and infuse it into the real world.
Reflect on your online actions: Did they spark curiosity, kindness, or connection?
Commit to carrying those values into offline spaces: What can you do today to live out the wonder you promote online?
A Call to Action: Creating a Bridge for Good
It’s not enough to like, comment, or share. Real change requires us to build bridges between the digital and physical worlds. It’s about using the momentum of online platforms to create tangible, real-world impact.
Here’s how we can start:
Take the "Teamwork" Trend Offline: Support your local community like you would a small creator. Collaborate with neighbors, co-workers, or fellow parents to create something positive.
Transform Comments into Conversations: Start a dialogue in your family or workplace about the values you promote online—curiosity, kindness, and creativity.
Bring Wonder to the Real World: Adopt small, daily practices that spark wonder in your life. Whether it’s pausing to admire a sunrise, helping a stranger, or reconnecting with an old friend, these moments matter.
Wonder is the Bridge
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: wonder is the bridge between online inspiration and offline transformation.
Social media has shown us what humanity is capable of at its best. Now it’s our job to take that spirit of collaboration, kindness, and creativity and bring it to life in our homes, workplaces, and communities.
So here’s my challenge to you: the next time you go to life, share, comment ask yourself, “What can I do offline to reflect the wonder I want to see in the world?”
Because when we bridge the gap, the ripple effect is unstoppable.
Let’s be the connection.
Let’s be the change.
Let’s create a world where wonder thrives—online and off.
Comments