Social media has a powerful presence in our world. Some people cannot go a day without browsing through their newsfeeds. They find comfort and connection by staying attuned to the latest updates.
Others of us find Facebook, Twitter and Instagram isolating. Instead of feeling renewed and reconnected to friends and acquaintances, we find ourselves lonelier than ever.
People post their best lives on these pages. This is not wrong, but it can be misleading.
Teenagers may struggle with feeling perpetually overlooked. A young woman who believes she is stuck and will never bear a child can find the endless pregnancy announcements soul numbing. Moms at home with their babies might see other children looking well behaved and beautiful. Meanwhile, they fight to get their kids to do something as simple as comb their hair. In the end, all of these people walk away from the screen a little less content.
This leads to the question: who is to blame? The individual that is comparing and despairing, or the pictures that paint a perfect mirage.
Most likely, no one is to blame. No one sends out a Christmas card and couples their season greetings with bad news.
“Merry Christmas!
Dan got fired from his job this year.
Carol had a root canal.
Jimmy flunked out of school.
Little Annie lost her favorite teddy bear on summer vacation and has cried every day since.
Wishing you a better year than us!”
That would be a little odd to receive.
Once a year, hearing about everyone’s accomplishments and advancements is satisfying. Conversely, being confronted with this information on a daily, hourly or moment to moment basis can be slightly demoralizing.
Certainly we should be happy for people that succeed. We should celebrate and encourage each other.
Sometimes though, it would be nice to see the path that led people to the mountain top, instead of only seeing them peak at the summit.
For those of you who read this and think my words are outdated or irrelevant, I think that is fantastic. It means you have the ability to poke around on social platforms and leave unscathed.
But for the other folks among us, the ones whose hearts are screaming “preach it sister.” Maybe it is time to breakup or at least take a break from social media.
If you find yourself a little blue after reviewing the daily news, be gentle with yourself. Someday you will summit too. So be gracious to those that are enjoying the views today.
In the future, you might need their likes!
K