Do You Really Show Your True Self on Social Media?
Ever scroll through your Facebook or Instagram feed and see those picture-perfect families or posts and become envious of the people in the photos? I will totally admit that I am guilty of that. Often times I feel bad because I look at my cluttered house and not-so-picture-perfect life and think, why can’t I have this life that is seen on social media?
But then I think to myself, if I had that life, I still would probably want something more. In a society where everyone is trying to keep up with the Joneses, I realize that I want to be different. After meeting some of these people I follow on social media, I realize that they must really have really PR companies like Behrman and PR who make their lives look like something out of a magazine because I have found out it isn’t like that at all.
In fact, by meeting those people in person, I realized that they are more than just pretty pictures on social media. In fact, they are like me, imperfect in every way but are often scared to show up in their messy house for fear of being on the next episode of Hoarders. And far worse to be judged by others. We all have our own crosses to bear when it comes to social media. I will admit that I do not always show my true self, especially when it comes to taking photos of Allie, our Shih Tzu, I must take 50-60 photos just to get the “perfect” picture for a blog post or social media campaign.
In fact, they are like me – imperfect in every way but often scared to show their messy house for fear of being on the next episode of Hoarders. And far worse, they fear being judged by others, especially when they strive for likes for Threads on their posts.
The same thing can be said about pictures of myself as well. I am never satisfied, and when I do post pictures, they have been heavily edited and photoshopped. And if then I hesitate about posting a picture. Because in the world of cyberbullying, internet trolls can be so cruel. And most of the time, the fear of what someone might say or think about us controls what we will post on social media. It is a new form of bullying.
I remember one story where a mom innocently posted a picture of her child. And soon, that child became the focus of a meme that was shared without the mom’s consent. That fear, along with our own subconscious, makes us fear that if we post a less-than-perfect picture- we too might end up as the subject of a meme as well.
Admit it, you know you have those thoughts as well. But the good thing is that if we all band together and agree that being imperfect is just as good if not better than perfect, then we all will be able to share the good, the bad, the ugly, and the messy in our lives.
So here is a challenge to you post a picture on social media of your true self. You know what I am talking about- no makeup, just woke up, been in pajamas all day, bed head picture, and see what response you get. And make sure you add the #KeepingItReal #TrueSelf.
