Social media for me is an outlet. A little place I can call my own and share some of what matters to me in life. It’s a place I very selectively share different tidbits about my life, firstly for my own release (sort of like talking to myself out loud) and then to touch a life and make an impact on others who may resonate with whatever I share.
For a long time I held myself back from sharing certain things (like travel) because I was conscious that I might get judged wrongly for it or be misunderstood and get treated not-so-nicely in real life- because we humans make assumptions and we tend to hold on to them so much we easily miss seeing the reality. I believe it’s important to have an open mind when you meet someone you’ve only known from a distance and get to know them for who they are and not what you think they are.
I’ve now been through several life-changing experiences that have given me the confidence to share some of my life experiences on various social media platforms and it’s honestly been so freeing. I don’t feel like I have to hide within myself anymore and only display what I think a lot of people will consider “acceptable” (read “humble” and etc). As long as I believe God would not be displeased with whatever I post and I feel comfortable sharing, I go for it.
Been thinking to myself, “man I’m so talkative!” And I am. Even in real life; when I’m with people I feel comfortable with.
I’m still getting to know myself.
Living alone means I’m solo most of the time. Social media helps me get some much needed interaction when I feel I need it so that’s pretty fun.
On the other hand it can also get quite overwhelming, with information overload and all, so I try and control how much social media I consume. Life is real, it’s not a game, so I believe real issues need to be thoroughly dealt with alongside people that actually know us personally and can support and help us through our struggles. At the end of the day our posts get likes and comments from people who don’t know where we’re posting from, what the story behind our post is, and how much the post means to us (or why you’re posting). So in-order to combat “feeling lonely in a crowd” I find it’s best to have real relationships with real people in your life that you can tell the details to.
The good thing about these real relationships (versus social media connections) is that they can help straighten you out when you post things you shouldn’t. They’re like a second filter when yours has holes too wide you didn’t realize it would be off to post a certain something. Whenever I privately get corrected by my people (family and friends) about something I’ve posted, I see love. I may not always be happy to take a post down but in the end I know it’s for my good and they’re showing me they care. It’s also great feedback on what my post actually sounds/seems like from the viewer’s point of view.
And because I’ve experienced the corrective side of love I feel it’s only right to extend the same to the ones I care about. “Love is corrective”. Love doesn’t see a friend heading down towards a waterfall and go cheering for them when you know they’re likely going to fall off and die. Love will snatch them off of there real quick and even scream a warning in their face (you know, the kind that can have them sneer at you like what’s your problem?! Mind your business! Etc etc).
I feel sad for the way the world has come to where us Christians don’t feel comfortable correcting each other anymore. You never really know what response you’re going to get if you extend that Christian love by way of correction. It takes a lot of courage to approach someone and tell them they might “need to be careful” or to remind them what God’s Word teaches us to do. I understand that the approach you use matters a lot, but I also believe we each need to cultivate a positive attitude towards correction from fellow Christians- after all it’s for our own good.
I appreciate social media A LOT because of the many things I’ve come to know by using it. I’ve travelled to places I may never set foot in in the world through a travel vlog on Youtube, I’ve been encouraged by a post made by someone as far away as the U.S on instagram, I’ve gotten informed on some current affairs in my other two home countries through Facebook and Youtube, and the list could go on and on.
Overall, I’ll say my relationship with social media goes like this: I hurt privately, heal silently, and shine publicly. (Velt Kidd)
If you’re comfortable sharing what your relationship with social media is please do so in the comments section below. Click on “No comments” below and type something then hit post. I’d love to read it!
Cheers!
No comments:
Post a Comment