Love Hate Relationship With Social Media

I have battled this love-hate relationship with social media.  I was always skeptical about posting things because I felt like it made everyone even more distant even with this close connection that appears to keep you close.

I don't post very often and usually I post after the fact.  Meaning, a lot of my photos are of something we did a day before to even months before.  I don't like to post in real time because usually it is something we are doing in the moment or I don't want to share our current outings.  When I do post something, I try to post something memorable or what captured my eye at the time.  I only share what I feel like sharing but it in no way means that is what life is like or the lifestyle we live.

That is where social media makes me want to delete and disappear.  I feel like with all of us (myself included) we start to forget that just because we see what someone is doing on social media, it doesn't mean we know what is going on with their lives like we used to when we used to talk on the phone or have lunch together.  Not like it is seeing someone in person and spending time at work or an activity catching up on what is going on.  A lot of us a going through tough times (not just talking about the current state of the coronavirus lockdown) but mentally, physically, emotionally, and financially.  Nothing our instagram or social media actually will show behind the nice photos and comments.  I feel that no one actually knows us anymore and it is a false connection.  Making people feel like they are still connected to their friends and know them when in reality, we don't.  These pictures make you think you know what is going on like you saw them everyday in the past when you don't actually know.  There are no more conversations and heart to hearts..it's like a daily dose of false knowledge. LOL

There is also this wierd image that people portray with the photos..people seem to assume we are well off or living a good life.  They assume we make a lot of money based off project or travels we have posted.  The reality is, we aren't and we try to pick the best parts of the travels that are almost NEVER for vacation.  I think we took one vacation over the last 5 years..it was because Mat's parents took us back to my hometown.  If it wasn't for that, we would have never gone a trip that was for fun.  All our photos are for work where we bust our asses for the entire trip and go back home to work more.  We don't get to do many fun things or see anything on our trips so when we get a chance to see something nice or eat something yummy, we try to capture that..it's like a little light on the not so pretty..

Don't get me wrong, we are grateful for what we get to do on a daily..but it's not all pretty rainbows..we have struggles with home and finances..life itself is difficult and we are struggling as much as the next person if not more so.. we just don't need to share it with the public..just the closest people around who actually have taken the time to get to know our life...

So here we are again with this battle of social media or not social media.. I haven't posted in a few months on my feed and I'm not sure what I feel these days..but in this world where I feel like everyone has gotten more and more distant because of the visual connection online, I keep feeling like I'm regressing and wanting to go backwards.. like actually dialing a phone number (when we used to actually remember them)!

Thoughts?

In the meantime, these photos of the boys make me smile..
Rocket with his Boys Day Koi for his Family Heritage Poster in Literature class:

Caught a rare smile on camera of Ziggy Jo at Triller Office in LA  
Ziggy Jo Triller Office

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