Thoughts From My Desk: Competition and Social Media

I know I’m not the first to write on said topics, but I feel very strongly about social media and what it has done to our society, as a whole.

While social media is something so many of us love and use all the time, have you ever thought about how much less competitive the world we live in would be if it didn’t exist. I know I shouldn’t be saying this considering I own a company that is centered around social and digital media, but I’m more referring to it when it comes to social media for personal use.

More often than not, the pictures you see on Facebook and Instagram are beautiful, fun, or glamorous pictures. Very rarely will someone show you the ‘dark side’ of their life. Very rarely will someone document the morning they took their child to the doctor because he or she had been up all night throwing up (not sure why I chose such a graphic example, hello Monday!). Very rarely will someone show you the flat tire they got on the way to work. Very rarely will someone show you a picture of themselves and their significant other mid fight. What we do see, however, are the pictures of kids smiling on their way to school, pictures of the beautiful drive you take on your way to work, pictures of a happy couple grinning from ear to ear.

The point I’m trying to make is that most of the things you see and read on social media are simply a small representation of one’s life. A tiny sliver of the day to day.

It’s very easy to get sucked into the rabbit hole of scrolling through your endless social feeds (I’ve been guilty of it; haven’t we all?). It’s also very easy to start comparing yourself and your life to your friends and acquaintances and strangers that you follow on these channels. And from there, it can become a domino effect. ‘Comparison is the thief of joy.’ I’ve seen this quote time and again, and I honestly believe it is 100% true.

When you compare yourself and your life to someone else’s, you start questioning all sorts of things (things that don’t need to be questioned) and it can lead to a downward spiral of sadness and insecurity. No one’s life is perfect. NO ONE’s. While it may seem to be perfect when scrolling through your feeds, I guarantee you it’s most certainly not. To compare yourself and your life to someone else’s is quite literally going to rob yourself of joy and happiness and fulfillment.

Now, I am NOT saying social media is the root of all evil (well, yes, I kind of am saying that..) because I really do feel social media can be used for GOOD. For example, a few weeks back, as you all most likely know, Houston got hit with pretty BAD floods. People’s homes were completely destroyed, possessions, cars all damaged. It was (and still is) a nightmare for many in this city. However, what I will say, is the community came together to help in a big way through social media. A Facebook group was created that is essentially a forum of what people need help with and conversations back and forth on the situation. THAT, my friends, is using social media for a great cause. And that’s just one example. I know there are tons of situations just like this one where social media has helped.

The bottom line of my novel this Monday morning is to simply take what you see on all your social media channels with a grain of salt. Your life is good. Your life is great. Yes, we all go through hardships at one point or another, but overall, where you are in your life at this moment is exactly where you should be. No life is perfect. No matter how many beautifully staged, sunset backdrop images on your feeds you see, there is a real person behind all that. And that real person has struggles and deals with what you deal with. Don’t forget that. Don’t compare yourself, your family, your company, your brand, your blog, your anything, to anyone else’s.

You’re doing just fine. Keep on doing you. And don’t forget to smile along the way.

Image borrowed from All Women Stalk