Social Presence

I just had this thought while working on my new landing page - self plug, it's at https://hyp5r.io if you want to see it.

Social media has its purpose. From communicating with friends and family you normally wouldn't see, to keeping up with colleagues and groups you're involved in, social media is probably one of the best things to come out of the Internet. For those who know me, you will never hear me say that in person. Social media is one of the worst things to come out of the Internet as well. From having media tailored to your viewpoints while foregoing others, to instilling the inner clique that shares everything you value, you can imprison yourself in a world you believe is tailored to you.

Social media is an outright lie.

“Everyone is living for everyone else now. They’re doing stuff so they can tell other people about it. I don’t get all that social media stuff. I’ve always got other things I want to do – odd jobs around the house. No one wants to hear about that.”

Building and tailoring your social media does two things:

1. Showcases your best moments to the world, and
2. Demonizes your worst moments for no one to see.

That's how I see it. When I had Facebook, it's how mine always looked - I posted the best pictures of my family, the best moments, events, the things that I enjoyed. No one saw the effort it took to get the best pictures, the moments where everything looks to be decimated, the times where life felt absolutely meaningless... and that's why I had to stop using it.

Everyone handles stress differently. Social media, though, convinces you that there's no reason to be stressed... I mean, look at how everyone is doing! Your friends are hanging out, everyone's celebrating, families are growing - and all you do is watch and compare it to your own.

Every now and then, you need a reminder to let you know you're only seeing one side of the coin. Fight yourself to push for those good moments, the one that makes life worth living. No one stays king of the hill forever.