Social Media
A tool wonderfully created to help us stay in touch with our friends and family. Distance is no longer an issue. It has allowed us to stay connected more than ever with anything and everything that is happening in our favorite people’s lives. It was created to be something fun, beautiful, and in many ways, it still is.
Social media is a double-edged sword. It can be a source of joy. Instant feeds where we can share the most cherished moments from our trips, funny memes, our accomplishments, lovely holidays, or just a snapshot of glazed pork belly buns from this new restaurant in town.
But there is another side of social media, a darker side. A side that can make us question our self-worth, beliefs, success, beauty, and everything in between. It can make us self-conscious, competitive, resentful, and argumentative. It gives us feelings of inadequacy like we are so far from achieving what others out there have achieved; it makes our lives seem small. It’s like we should always be doing something more, even though we’ve already accomplished so much…
“I went to Italy and wasn’t able to get a video opening the door of an amazing ocean-front Airbnb, showing a chef-curated gourmet breakfast on a sunny balcony surrounded by flowers. Since I’m staying at a budget-friendly hotel, my trip won’t seem as perfect as some of the videos I’ve seen on Instagram…”
And this couldn’t be farther from the truth. Beautiful trips come in all budgets and styles, and your followers will appreciate all of them. The most important thing is that you are having a great time and not stressing about creating perfect content for others.
Social media can make our experiences seem less vibrant and not as exciting as other’s who have experienced the same place but in a different way. Even though our trip was incredible and unforgettable if we didn’t capture drone footage or hired an on-site photographer to create Instagram-worthy content, will people know we had a good time?
Let’s free ourselves from online judgement
Social media can be a place of insecurity where we can’t help but wonder what people think when we share something, the causes we support, if they think our content is good enough… And honestly, why do some of us worry so much? Is it because someone made comments about others in the past? Are we hesitant because of judgmental people?
Keep in mind that judgmental people are often fighting an internal battle that has little to do with us. They are unfortunately dealing with their own insecurities and feelings of inadequacy.
On that note, how many beautiful moments would you be sharing with the world if you knew no one was judging you and you only had amazing friends who truly support the things you do and love?
Choosing (or not) to share our moments with the online world is up to us. But we must never forget that life is a cluster of small yet wonderful moments. They may not seem social media-worthy by society’s standards, but they will make for exceptional times and memories.
Because we see so much incredible content every day (igloos with sky views outside scenic mountains in cities we’ve never heard of), we forget that laying by the pool of a cheap hotel with friends could be one of our most beautiful memories. And it’s worthy of having its own place on Instagram. These sort of moments will remind us of the times we forgot about the stresses of the world, the times we looked at the sky and talked to God, the time we made unexpected new friends and had the best conversations. Those low-key moments are incredibly precious. A trip to Argentina may be planned for the near future, but also remember to cherish the tiny moments happening all around you. They will stay forever in your heart.
So next time you go to a restaurant, and you want to share a photo of that delicious burrata salad you’re about to try or share 10 photos of the new car you worked so hard for, or post that perfect selfie because you look beautiful and your hair is on point, don’t think twice about it. Your social media pages are a reflection of you, and they should be as genuine and proud as you are. They should tell the story of the things that are important to you, the things you love and make you happy, even if it’s just a cup of coffee. The right people will be glad to follow. And those are the true supporters of your journey.
Contié says
you ARE a such amazing writer and soul!
Diana Colon says
I love this and that qUote bY baruch is a great reminder!
Miguel chavez says
Perfectly said!! What others think should not matter, ever!!