I have such a love/hate relationship with all social media. While I can appreciate that it led my sister to find me and gave us the ability to form a strong friendship, or how the high school friends can so easily stay connected, and how the long-distance family can stay in touch a bit easier when is enough, enough? I cannot stand the fake media. I would much rather see the twenty pictures your family took to get to the one shot that made the Christmas card. I would prefer to be invited into your actual life, not just the positive vibes we all post about that make our lives seem worthy of existing.
We have all been there, the happy-go-lucky couple posts about their divorce. We weren’t invited behind to the scenes to understand the drama as it unfolded. We only saw the happy anniversary stories mixed in with grand vacations and home purchases. How were we to know it wasn’t all perfect? And yet, for those who are brave and vulnerable to post their “drama,” they are often called attention-seeking or worse, a cry for help. What is the healthy balance of being just real enough to prove you have ups and downs, but also have a lot to be grateful for?
As someone who is sitting in divorce grief and truly didn’t see it coming, I can tell you that for all the things I have said, what hasn’t been said is where the true information rests. Is my perspective drama? While it isn’t anyone’s business what happens in my life, am I being real enough, or is being vague what social media is all about? Does anyone care? Do the people who honestly care already know the truth?
While I have asked all the above questions to many people, the answers vary. At the end of the day, I fully believe you just need to be who you are while understanding you are not everyone’s cup of tea. This even includes what people want to read about you, or simply don’t, in this age of social media.
The idea that everyone can just keep scrolling is real. The people who love you will read your true life updates and feel your pain. The people who make a lot of assumptions, well, you aren’t going to change them anyway, so you might as well be happy with yourself.
I am known to be outspoken. It is when I am quiet, you know, it’s deep and messy. Even when I am just angry, the silence is to be feared, not the arguing. My authentic being is an over-sharer. I absolutely own this stems from childhood trauma and staying silent for far too long. Still, it is my truth. I happen to like who I am. The years in which I continued to shrink myself to make other people more comfortable, well, those years are gone. So what will it be?
Can you join the version of authentic social media posting in order to clear out the fake media? Or do you keep living your life and only share that in which makes you look good?
I would rather be real.
This was written by our contributing writer, Tiffani Morgan.
Image Source: Pexels, Kampus Production
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