It just looks like we do.
Social media has done an incredible job of helping us crop, edit and filter our lives to look picture perfect.
I remember for months I felt like I was living a double life because I knew the way I was presenting myself, and the way I was actually feeling couldn’t have been more opposite. I was dealing with a broken heart and crying on the daily (hiding the hurt), yet my Instagram and Facebook painted a completely different picture of “my life.”
I remember when people would ask how my significant other was doing and I’d inform them we were no longer together, I would often times get, “You look like you’re doing so good! I follow you on IG and you look so happy!” Every time I heard that I wanted to scream SOCIAL MEDIA IS FAKE.
Obviously I didn’t scream at anyone, but I would definitely try and get people to understand that social media is only a snapshot of people’s lives, not their actual lives.
I also hate when people compare their relationships to others on social media, #relationshipgoals. You literally have no idea what those people or that couple is actually like behind closed doors. Don’t idolize and compare what you have to what you THINK someone else has.
Comparison is the thief of joy.
I’m not a mom but I follow a lot of moms’ on IG, and man, they make it look easy! Some of them look straight out of a parenting magazine! I think about the pressure I would probably feel looking at some of their accounts if I had children of my own. Again, it’s a picture – not their actual lives. Moms’ have so much pressure as it is, I would hate for them to add even more by comparing their lives to other moms’ on IG/Facebook.
No one has it as together as they appear.
I know I’m very hard on myself when I see other people doing things that I wish I was doing. It can totally mess with my head and make me feel like I’m just not doing enough with my life.
Then you have the BODIES on social media! I can literally get sucked in for like a good 20 minutes looking through an “Instagram Model’s” account trying to figure out how I can starve myself for the next 62 days!?
I’m human. I have my moments of comparison.
As I look through the filtered pictures on my timeline, I remind myself that they’re just that – filtered pictures. The same goes for the pics on my page, 99.9% of them have been cropped, edited and filtered.
Whether it’s real life or social media, recognize we all wear some sort of filter.
Remember that You are YOU, and that is your POWER.
Don’t lose you by chasing and idolizing a life that doesn’t even exist.
The real truth is: None of us have our shit together, and that’s OK.
Some days I’m unstoppable and feel like I can conquer the world…other days I spend 30 minutes on BuzzFeed taking quizzes like:
“What type of bread are you?”
“Which ‘Friends’ character are you?”
“How obsessed with food are you?”
It’s called balance.
* One last thing, the day I took the picture above I was all over the place and couldn’t even find the time to collect my thoughts. As I was running out the house I realized I only had one earring on and couldn’t find the other one. I went ahead and wore the one earring and just flipped my hair all the way to other side so you couldn’t tell. It made me laugh, made for a good picture and it all worked out in the end. #fakeittillyoumakeit *
Social Media is like ESPNs “TOP 10”. They showcase the dunks, homeruns and goals! Highlights are awesome, but they’re only a small segamant of the entire game. We have to remember that games consist of victories and triumphs but more importantly of defeats and failures. If we can just remember that social media post are just a persons “Top 10” and enjoy them for what they are “highlights” I think we’ll be alright 🙂
I appreciate you shedding light on the topic and making those gears up top turn!
Good job Kat.
Thank you Tony, couldn’t agree more – they’re highlights, not the “behind the scenes.”