It’s easy following the trends and following the crowd. The best platform to be a follower is on social media. If we create an image that is simple and likable, then those around us believe we are easier to understand. People find safety in sharing what others want to see. It makes us more approachable and makes us feel included in our circles. We find ourselves in a comfortable position that we intend to always be in. I hate to break it to you, but most humans are a lot more complex and interesting than their posts. Personally, as a human myself, I don’t always feel like my social media posts. Sometimes, I don't connect with what those around me believe me to be. Sometimes, I may even fool myself into being someone I am not when I look at my social accounts.
Besides myself, I cannot count how many people I’ve met that I thought would be like their social media posts. I believed they lived this perfect and eventful life without any care in the world. It wasn’t until I got to know some of the perfect social media people that I realized they don’t fit anything that they portray to be on their accounts. On the flip side, those I meet that fit what their accounts portray, I usually get bored of them. I get tired of the shallow conversations and focusing on the superficial.
A lot of the time, I end up liking people more when they don’t fit the mold. I think it’s because I get to discover something that helps me distinguish that person. It makes me feel like they actually care about what is going on in their real lives. I appreciate people who don’t plan their day around when they are going to post their next picture or constantly checking how many views or likes they get. I think people who show me their world instead of the world I would expect is bold.
If people think basing their days and plans off of what they look like to the world is important, then I clearly live in the wrong generation. What have we become if we are more concerned with who is liking our stuff over the value of what we achieve in a day? Our thoughts become thoughtless and our personalities become person-less. We are given our lives for more than a virtual reality.
I want to offer a challenge to everyone. Next week I won't post anything I am doing on social media, as well as be concerned with what others are posting. I want you to do the same. What would you like to do if there were no likes or views involved? What kind of conversations would you have if you didn’t check your phone? I think it’s important for everyone to give this a shot, especially since it is such an addiction. Just give it a try, notice what kind of person you become and who others are without your social media presence, as well as theirs.
