Thanks to Lori Riffe for another guest post. Lori lives in Snoqualmie and writes her own blog, Tainted Fishsticks. She definitely has a way to make me smile with her writing that strives to “be real.” So in honor of Mark Zuckerberg’s 28th birthday and Facebook going public this week, Lori takes her own look at Facebook. Read on…
In a world of total exposure, the noise can turn into false reality.
WHAT?
I’m talking about our perceptions of people and the fact that due to things like social media, we see a lot more of people’s lives than we ever did before. But what are we really seeing?
I want to let you know that I am not you and you are not me and he is not that guy and she is not that girl. I don’t have my act together and I’m not an incredible cook.
Sally Sue’s kids are a terror and she only posts pictures of them looking cute. She doesn’t tell you she had to bribe them with Twinkies to get them to shut up and smile.
Jimmy’s new job IS a blessing, but he totally hates the fact that he has no friends there and isn’t allowed on Facebook while on the clock.
Reposting a status in support of some person she’ll never meet who may or may not be sick does not mean Mary is going to save the world while you are watching Netflix.
Healthy living advice comes mostly from people who secretly eat Doritos and drink too much.
Kids with amazing grades are under a lot of pressure and may not make it through college.
Awesome vacations usually mean massive credit card debt.
Multiple ‘check-ins’ mean George goes anywhere he can not to be at home with his family.
Arm in arm group photos indicate booze consumption and temporary BFF status.
Social media IS a way to connect with others. It can be informational, inspiring, humorous and overall entertaining. I am personally thankful for the connections I made with many people I might not otherwise be in contact with. I am definitely not mad at Facebook. But, I often get sucked in, like many others, to the false reality presented online. Not that people are misrepresenting themselves, but that their time of joy is temporary, and is not representative of all the crap they may have going on behind it.
When you find yourself feeling like everyone else’s life is better than yours, stop yourself, because it’s simply not true. We are all a mess in our own personal circumstance and this is NORMAL. No one is living our same life and we should never want for someone else’s life – especially if it’s all wrapped up in a Facebook status update.
Connect with friends in many ways. Spend time in person with people and find out what’s REALLY going on. Celebrate, encourage, inform, laugh and cry with them. For real. Not through a comment or a ‘like’ button. We are meant to be in community with one another – to be real face to face.
