This needs to be said. Social Media is NOT real life. People use it to “influence” others, build businesses, brands, spread news, whether it be good or bad news. But it is not real life. Even though you can feel connected to people you’ve never met, or for a cause or project or business that you feel really passionate about, it is not REAL. People today spend way too much time scrolling through their phones looking for something to fill up a gap in time, boredom, or to find things.
People are losing the ability to connect with one another face to face, in person. The trend that I’ve noticed the most is that a person will build a business or a brand, and get their whole family involved, their spouse, their kids, and then as soon as it becomes a success, their family falls apart or the marriage ends in divorce. This is problematic because even though possibly the divorce was in the cards for a number of years – the only thing that the “influenced” see is the relationship that is portrayed on screen. Anyone who is in a real relationship knows the golden rule – Your relationship should never be broadcasted on the internet. Why do you ask? Why if it helps others or even helps your relationship?
No one can see what happens behind closed doors. And a relationship almost always happens behind closed doors, there are discussions, fights, make-ups, tears, frustration, being vulnerable with each other. All of this takes place out of the public eye. Unless you’re sharing it with all of your followers. If you are putting on a happy face just for the phone, for the likes and the comments and the recognition of a ding on a post, you’re doing it wrong.
Within a relationship, you are no longer just yourself. You are literally one with that other person. It no longer becomes about what you want or what they want, it becomes WE. What do WE want? There is no I in relationship. Only WE.
It greatly compounds the social media aspect of life. Sure, is social media great for sharing things with family and friends? Absolutely, but you need know when to draw the line at sharing your personal life with people you don’t even know. Even for the sake of business. Social media is NOT real. It is showing people what they want to see or hear, in order to get the adrenaline boost that going Viral causes. It doesn’t show the messy, complicated, joyful yet painful life that a person is living. Because unless they let you intimately in their lives, it will never be real. Social Media is doing more harm than good in my opinion, because people do not know how to set limits and control themselves on it. Some of the best conversations being had right now are those being done quietly and intimately with family and friends, not blaring the “look at me” sterotype with thousands of people who don’t even know you. So please if you use social media in any way, take time to step away for a while and be careful what you post, because you never know what will haunt you if it stays on the Internet.
