I recently watched this video and thought it did a great job illustrating the effect that social media has on our lives and how it has, in some ways, turned us into 24/7 PR representatives for ourselves.
There are many merits to technology and social media, and the fact that we no longer need to lug around a camera and a video camera can be really convenient. But here’s the thing: What we gain in ease, we lose in realness. In other words, it is impossible for social media to tell the whole picture of what’s going on in people’s lives, and our brains have a way of making up stories about how everyone else is living an easier and more fun-filled life.
The reality is that behind every perfectly managed Facebook or Instagram page is a human being who has struggles, fears, and areas of life where they may doubt their competence. Every relationship has moments and chapters where there are growing pains- some more painful than others—as the individuals work on building a union that can withstand the multitude of stressors plaguing relationships today. To be human is to be imperfect, no matter how great the filter is, and because we are human we need relationships that aren’t obstructed by glass screens. We don’t need hashtags to feel permission to express feelings; we don’t need likes to know we matter.
Before “friend” became a verb, it was a noun. We become more grounded within ourselves not when our energy is focused outward on the image we want to project, but when we move into ourselves, the place we can so easily avoid, and cultivate a relationship with who we really are.
