The Instagram Effect

I remember a time before social media. I even remember a time before smartphone was a word. Social media is wonderful for lots of reasons, my favorite being the interconnectedness that it allows you with people you never would have met otherwise. But, unfortunately, social media has much to do with authenticity and the lack thereof. How you present yourself versus how you really are.

 

Your "real self" is what you are - your qualities, characteristics, and personality. Your "ideal self" is what you feel you should be; mostly due to societal and environmental influences. Especially when those influences are in your face 24/7. I would LOVE to have a super artsy and beautiful Instagram of these great coffee shops, bookstores and outdoor spaces. But guess what, those highly edited shots are just what people are CHOOSING to show. (which is fine) They may be a photographer, so their food and face and everything might always have the best lighting and the best filters BUT that doesn’t mean that’s what their life really looks like offline. Realize that before you start comparing your feed (and yourself).

 

Being genuine means you take care to align your “real self” and your “ideal self”. There is absolutely nothing wrong with striving for goals to become a better person but PLEASE realize that you are who you are and your little journey to be better might not work. Some of my words that I have chosen to tackle over the next year…they might not all stick, they will have varying degrees of success. One of my words is patient, in the grain of my being, I am not a patient person. I’m just not. I accept that. And while I want to work on it, I know I will never be able to sit by and wait for things for very long. KNOW THAT IT’S OKAY TO BE EXACTLY WHO YOU ARE. It’s okay for our little self-growth experiments to fail. Realize social media can be smoke and mirrors and filters and good lighting. Know that the person behind the lens has as many flaws as you do, maybe they just aren’t as comfortable as you at showing them.

Don’t create an inflated unrealistic version of yourself, just know who you are and flaunt the shit out of her.

Your online self and offline self should be the same self.

 

MUCH love,