Social Media - Friend, Foe or Somewhere in Between?
Social Media is a huge part of life for most of us, but is it adding value to our lives? Can it be a part of intentional living?
For me, social media is a relatively positive thing. I use Facebook to connect with family and friends, which is so important since moving from England to California. I use Instagram as a creative outlet, a tool for motivation, inspiration and a way to express some of my emotions, both positive or negative. It sparks joy and drives me to keep pushing forwards in achieving my goals.
It hasn’t always been like this though, there was a time when social media made me feel anxious, left out and upset. It made me feel in so many ways, like I wasn’t enough. I felt like people were having more fun, achieving so much more, or I felt irritated by people’s comments. It was like every time I went on Social Media, I was punishing myself. I was my own worst enemy.
What changed? I realized that I needed to take control of Social Media instead of letting it control me, as it had done for so many years. My ever-present guilt wouldn’t let me delete people from my Social Media which was a big part of my problem. Even if they made me feel bad about myself, I still couldn’t block them. It felt mean and perhaps an over exaggeration to what was ultimately my reaction to their actions. They mostly weren’t intentionally carried out in order to hurt me, they were just getting on with their lives. I found a compromise, on Facebook I removed people from my feed, and on Instagram I recently discovered I could mute people. So, just like in real life, people are still doing their thing, but it’s not affecting me anymore because it’s away from my line of vision, and the bonus is that I am not hurting anyone in the process. I am not sure why I subjected myself to things that made me feel bad for so long but taking control has been a game changer. I guess I felt before that I might miss out on something, but now I honestly don’t care, I’m too busy living my life the way I want to live it, intentionally, with purpose, patience and kindness.
On a side note I must add that I do make a point to stress to my children the reasons that they are not allowed to have Social Media accounts. People can be mean, and that can be amplified when they are able to hide behind their phones or computers. As a child you do not have the emotional resilience to deal with this. We struggle enough as adults.
For me, social media is a relatively positive thing. I use Facebook to connect with family and friends, which is so important since moving from England to California. I use Instagram as a creative outlet, a tool for motivation, inspiration and a way to express some of my emotions, both positive or negative. It sparks joy and drives me to keep pushing forwards in achieving my goals.
It hasn’t always been like this though, there was a time when social media made me feel anxious, left out and upset. It made me feel in so many ways, like I wasn’t enough. I felt like people were having more fun, achieving so much more, or I felt irritated by people’s comments. It was like every time I went on Social Media, I was punishing myself. I was my own worst enemy.
What changed? I realized that I needed to take control of Social Media instead of letting it control me, as it had done for so many years. My ever-present guilt wouldn’t let me delete people from my Social Media which was a big part of my problem. Even if they made me feel bad about myself, I still couldn’t block them. It felt mean and perhaps an over exaggeration to what was ultimately my reaction to their actions. They mostly weren’t intentionally carried out in order to hurt me, they were just getting on with their lives. I found a compromise, on Facebook I removed people from my feed, and on Instagram I recently discovered I could mute people. So, just like in real life, people are still doing their thing, but it’s not affecting me anymore because it’s away from my line of vision, and the bonus is that I am not hurting anyone in the process. I am not sure why I subjected myself to things that made me feel bad for so long but taking control has been a game changer. I guess I felt before that I might miss out on something, but now I honestly don’t care, I’m too busy living my life the way I want to live it, intentionally, with purpose, patience and kindness.
On a side note I must add that I do make a point to stress to my children the reasons that they are not allowed to have Social Media accounts. People can be mean, and that can be amplified when they are able to hide behind their phones or computers. As a child you do not have the emotional resilience to deal with this. We struggle enough as adults.
Unless you have the strength to be completely in control of Social
Media then don’t get on it in the first place. Don’t put yourself in a position
where you are being made to feel bad about yourself.
Remember, it is a choice,
so make the right choice for you and your Wellbeing.
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