The Highlight Reel

For the past couple of years, I have had a love/hate relationship with social media. I love it because it is a great way to interact with friends and family, and it can be a wonderful source of inspiration for all categories of life.  The not so great side of social media centers around how it creates a false idea of what life should be like based on one little photo or 15 second video clip.  Social media is particularly impactful on impressionable young girls that already have so many pressures and challenges that come with maturing into young adults.  Before there was ever Instagram, Facebook, or Snapchat, we only had what we could see in real life, on TV, or in magazines, and that was hard enough!  There is this constant comparison game happening – why can’t I be as pretty or skinny as her?  Why can’t I have clothes like that?  Why doesn’t my boyfriend/husband look at me the way he looks at her?  Why doesn’t my house look as nice as hers?  Why don’t I have as many Instagram followers as her? Why don’t I get as many likes on my pictures as her? And the list goes on.  All of this comparison tends to take focus away from what’s important – and that’s what we DO have that’s great in our lives – for example, good health, loving parents/spouse/siblings, supportive friends, food on the table, a roof over our heads, etc.  And while we are hung up on comparing ourselves to others and worrying about how we aren’t good enough, most of the time there is someone out there looking up to you, wishing they had something that may be great in YOUR life.  It’s a crazy and vicious cycle!

I am certainly guilty of playing the comparison game, and I think we all are if we are honest with ourselves. The key is recognizing when it is happening, and not allowing yourself to be consumed by it.  You have to combat the negative thoughts and self-doubt, and not allow them take up any of your precious headspace or dictate how you live your life.  The thing I try to always remember is that social media is essentially someone’s “highlight reel”.  The people you follow are sharing the best of their day in the most visually appealing way possible.  One little snapshot is not a depiction of what that person’s life is truly like.  You have no idea what people may be struggling with behind closed doors – no one is perfect!  The other thing that you should always keep in mind is that the posts you see from bloggers and influencers are WORK – it is literally their JOB to develop and create content that is attractive and appealing so that they can keep their audience engaged and provide inspiration, and a lot of time and preparation goes into what they are sharing.  If I’m being honest, this is one of the reasons I was reluctant to start a blog and establish a presence on social media.  Staged photos and attractive content comes with the territory, but I also think it is very important to keep it real.  I never want to make anyone feel inadequate.  If you are reading this, I want you to remember that you should never look at someone’s photos and allow them to make you feel bad about yourself, or let them cause you to make comparisons and then doubt how you are living your life.  Every time you feel yourself starting to do that, STOP and think about one thing that is freaking awesome about your life, and tell yourself that you’re grateful for that awesome thing – it’s what makes you YOU! Use the photos you see in your feed as inspiration for how you can put an outfit together, decorate a room, or where you may travel for your next vacation, and turn around and use YOUR special qualities to help inspire others in your own way!  Remember that who you’re seeing in the photos is a normal person just like you, and is likely someone you can relate to more than you think.

I’ll wrap up with saying this – we are not defined by our Instagram or Facebook accounts. We will not be remembered for how many followers we had or how many likes/comments we received on a photo.  We will be remembered for the kind of person that we were and the impact that we made on the lives of others – always remember that!  So have fun with social media, but don’t take it too seriously, and do not use it as a benchmark for what you should aspire for your life to be.

Have a wonderful day! XOXO!