I’ve been told to “create content” countless times over the span of my life. I mean, what do you expect when working in social media for as long as I can remember? I would say that my interests lead me to live a pretty Instagram-worthy life – cute coffee shops, spending every chance I can at the beach, going on hikes and picking wildflowers, exploring cool restaurants, going on crazy adventures with friends, you get it. Yet, sometimes I force myself to take a step back and reflect. Do I really enjoying these things, or am I just doing it for the gram?
In this photo, I was genuinely having the time of my life. I was at the bar with some incredible people in Mexico. These candid photos are my favorite, capturing that moment of happiness. Yet, in another recent situation I went to a party and it was the last place I wanted to be. I was beyond exhaustion, feeling out of place, and really really missed my family. Yet, you can bet I was smiling for the photos, dancing when the video camera was aimed at me, and even sharing photos to my stories of everyone having fun. All were accompanied by captions about living the good life.
For me on this blog I try to be completely transparent, showing how social media is very different from reality, and not every moment is rainbows and butterflies (even when I’m living my dream). Yet, there’s a tricky balance of working in social media company and trying to sell fun. & so here I am, sometimes forcing myself to smile for the camera, when smiling is the last thing I want to do. It makes me feel like a phony.
I have begun to question, do I want to continue with the work I do, or is only doing something for a photo, & not because I actually want to, going to push me away? My answer isn’t exactly black and white.
What if I were to switch things up a bit? If I’m going to continue working in this field, I have to do it in a way that feels like I’m making people’s lives’ better, not worse.
Sure, depending on how you use it, social media can easily be unhealthy, but who’s to say that it has to be that way? Unfollow accounts that make you feel worse about yourself, set limits on screen time, think about the content you’re posting, consider transparency. Let’s social media a more positive space, one post at a time.
