Social Media is not real!!
Over the past week or so ago. There has been both celebration and uproar over the claims of an Australian Teenager and Instagrammer Essena O'Neill that social media was not real life. This is why she has quit using it.
Are her claims founded?
Lets look at it for a second. Lets look at our own timelines to do it.
Today Facebook sent me a list of memories on this day over the past 7 years of my life. Some mundane like moaning about having to get up for work or having a hangover. Some fun like photographs of people I have taken over the years.
Does this timeline have a direct representation over my day to day life. Not even close. Does it share the things in life we all do and take for granted? Of course not.
We don't talk about got up this morning and burned the toast and over cooked my eggs a little bit, spent 40mins in the car which is about average for the car trip to work and had a fairly average day doing what I do to earn a crust.
We sensationalise our day. We note the things that are pretty average. The posts about FFS, woke up late and burned my toast and eggs. Then had to spend 40mins in traffic behind some donut for most of it. Boss was on my ass the whole day and now I'm home. Time to relax and F it. Im having a glass of wine. I deserve it.
Lets deconstruct the first version of that! Woke up this morning. Thats fortunate. Fed myself. Others don't have the luxury, Spent 40mins in the car. The car that cost money, that you earned and the tax and fuel you also worked to pay for. In the job you complain about but secretly love when payday comes around. How about rewording the post now?
Woke up this morning, No bad news, nobody I know didn't wake up this morning. Burned the toast a little but the smell and taste of it covered in butter reminded me of when I was in school and my mam burned our toast under the grill almost every morning. Tasted sooo good! Was a bit short on time so the eggs went into a cup in the microwave like my dad showed us. just a touch of butter. #EggyCup.
In the car on the way to work laughing at the radio like a goon in traffic. Love that show. Rain pelting against the windows this morning. Posted a photo on Instagram on the sly while sitting in traffic. Because, well because it looked awesome on the window. Even drew a smiley face on the window in the condensation. Such a child!
Got into work and was good to sit next to the heater and drink tea. Yapping about the weekend. Work was uneventful but sure thats just work. Payday Friday. Home to relax. Fortunate to have a home, a job that pays the bills and feeds me and friends and family to care about me.
So maybe the mundane is what we are overlooking.
So why is social media such a big deal, why are we so obsessed with the Kardashians and trying to keep up with what others do, say and post.
Do we need 3 holidays a year, just to share photos and show the world what we can afford?
Do we need to go out partying two or three nights a week just to show we are cool and wanted.
No is the answer every time. We are just sensationalising.
So if we sensationalise in what we share on social media. How does that effect our sense of our own social experience, our sense of social entitlement and our self acceptance.
What if you don't have the 3 holidays a year and the 2 nights out a week, What if you don't drive a nice car and post enough selfies with friends every week.
Does this make you less of a person, less entitled to be happy? Or are you just punishing yourself trying to catch up.
Social media is a highlight, an index of your time. Remember to live the life you are highlighting.
Be happy to burn the toast. Others view your timeline in envy even if you don't.
How you walk in the skin you wear is your decision. Why not embrace it. What other choice do you have!