Think about the last time you got on Facebook. You might be on it right now. What was your last post? How were you feeling when you posted it? The last selfie you posted, were you down in the dumps, on top of the world, or somewhere in between? How many likes did it get?
I’m asking these questions because they need to be asked. We need to see past the images, the words and the presentation, and by now, surely, we must know that there’s more to it. Your friends’ lives are not all they’re cracked up to be. In fact, most people are cracked. Some of them more than others but they are more than pretty pictures. So much more.
You see, this isn’t just about someone pretending to feel things they don’t feel or pretending that they are happier than they are. This is worse than that. This isn’t even about people believing it. It’s about people believing there is nothing more. My point? People feeling that their friends or associates are happier than they look and believing there is nothing more to the story is driving average people to feel crazy. Facebook and other social media outlets have become a deliverance or devastation to most people. How can they be that happy? Everything is coming together for them.
We have to stop forming a life around fiction. We have to stop believing that no one else is anxious, depressed, scared, worried, tired, and lost. We have to start seeing social media for what it is: a place to debut the high points, post pictures of our precious moments, or keep up with old friends. Be fair to yourself and fair to your friends: the image is only an image and most people are cracked beneath the surface. They’re not all they’re cracked up to be; so be caring, seek the truth, be human, be a friend.
Author: Daron Elam