I know that this is going to sound crazy – especially since some of you are reading this on Facebook and that my friends call me the “Facebook queen” but I do not like social media.
I’m on it all the time and I have a fear of missing out but I don’t like it.
And I certainly believe that there is an important place for social media in terms with connecting with people who are important to you and sharing information.
But, last week, I was not online at all for three consecutive days and I didn’t miss anything!
Miraculously the world continued to rotate, Facebook didn’t shut down without me and Torvill and Dean didn’t get married!
In our fast paced, instant gratification kind of world that we live in, we often feel that we have so little time and are often thankful for all of the technology that assists us in our lives. But when that technology starts to control us and actually ends up taking even more of our time it becomes problematic.
Most social media just represents an edited version of people’s lives.
You’re not exactly going to post ugly pictures of yourself or talk about the negative things that are happening in your life (unless you are looking for attention and wanting people to comment on how much they feel sorry for you).
People post their best photos, their favourite stories and their achievements. They tell you what a wonderful life they are leading, often with the pictures to prove it.
Is this real life?
Not at all.
People don’t even speak spontaneously anymore. Rather, they think about what they want to say, and how they think that people will interpret it and then present a highly edited version of their original thought.
And where does that leave you when you are already feeling stressed or depressed?
It makes you feel inadequate or inferior.
It makes you feel that you don’t do enough, or achieve enough or live an exciting enough life.
If you are stressed or overwhelmed by what you see others doing or by how you feel others are judging you, take a break from it. I promise you that you’ll feel better for it.
Let me tell you this: Your life is so important!
What you do is valuable and meaningful!
Don’t ever get caught up in the belief that you are worth less than somebody else.
Be true to yourself, live in the moment and continue to be blessed by what you do have.
