Looking to add some positivity to your social media experience? Then join Erath Raves on Facebook.

By SARA VANDEN BERGE

I made the decision a long time ago to never join Facebook groups that bash local businesses and people. You know the ones I am talking about.

Ditto for engaging individuals who trash politicians or say passively-aggressive hurtful things about their neighbors.

That stuff makes my stomach hurt and I refuse to take part in it.

When I started Beneath the Surface News 16 months ago, I made another important decision to create a feel-good vibe when it came to writing about topics I covered outside of the news.

That doesn’t mean there aren’t businesses I refrain from working with, products I don’t like or restaurants I don’t care for.

I just don’t write about them.

Rather than wasting my time bashing things I don’t like, I spend my time writing about things I love.

So when I saw a Facebook post last night by my friend, customer and insurance agent Ricky Thurman stating that he was removing himself from certain negative Facebook groups, I chimed in and agreed.

Today, I noticed that he did something else; he started Erath Raves, a new page that I know you will love.

"Good or bad, social media has become such a strong force in our daily lives. For many, it’s the first thing they see when they get going in the morning and may be the last thing they see before they close their eyes at night. It’s how we market our businesses, communicate with family, keep a record of our lives over the last several years and even remember each other’s birthdays," Ricky told me.

"I have seen business and individuals unfairly attacked on pages that promote complaining. I have been the subject of some of those attacks, and unfortunately I have to admit I’ve been a participant in some of that behavior, too. It’s just toxic.

"After a recent incident on a local negatively charged page where I let myself get sucked in to a conversation that no amount of reasonable discussion was going to change, I realized paying attention to the activity over there was no longer serving any positive purpose, and I left all negative social media pages I was following."

And that's how Erath Raves came to be.

I have already joined the group and hope you will too.

Together, we can promote positive messages in our community and give credit to those who are doing good!

Thanks Ricky! This is going to be fun!