Social Mediacrity

Hello! I hope you are enjoying an enriching week and looking forward to the holiday weekend.

I, for one, have recently found myself grappling with my love-hate relationship with Facebook. While it’s no secret I highly value social media, I am embarrassed to admit there’s something about Facebook that makes me feel… what’s the word…. uneasy, or, occasionally, terrible. Trust me, these feelings have motivated quite a bit of self-examination on my part.

Why does the image of the blushing family of five adorned in matching fleece sipping cocoa at the beautiful ski resort irk me so? Is it as simple as jealousy? Do these pictures awaken the midlife crisis beast, arousing worries of lack of generativity or excitement in my own life?

The more I think about it, I realize it’s that some of these Facebook images just seem too perfect. Now, before I run the risk of offending you, let me say I think it’s important to celebrate and share the stories of our families, travel, successes and personal triumphs. I personally delight in reading and sharing these stories, I really do.

However, that being said, since joining Facebook I notice I feel compelled to present images of my life in a way that sort of crops out the unpleasantness. This realization has raised some questions for me. Why present a one-dimensional version of myself rather than my whole self, acknowledging flaws, mistakes, failures, successes, joy, sadness and all? Is my unease with Facebook related to failing to be completely authentic?

To this extent, I have been seriously contemplating what it would be like for my Facebook page to reflect a more authentic version of myself, just to dive in and and practice social mediacrity ( yep, I just did that!),  if you will. Perhaps juxtaposed to the poised picture of me in a beautiful dress, I will post a picture of just having woken up in the morning, bite guard and all. Maybe next to the photo of my husband and me hiking in Hawaii, I’ll post one of us arguing about who is going to make dinner. Probably not as palatable or enjoyable to view, but definitely more real.

I’ve reached the conclusion that, for me, the vexation of  Facebook is its capacity to be a platform for presenting a one-dimensional version of self. This creates the illusion it is not okay to be struggling, flawed, bored, sad, and/or sitting at home on a Friday night binge-watching Breaking Bad. In other words, that it is not okay to be wholly who you are.

To shamelessly quote Henry David Thoreau, “Be yourself- not your idea of what you think somebody else’s idea of yourself should be.” Living authentically, in my opinion, is true freedom.

Future goal: Get comfortable with all of who I am. Don’t be afraid to show the totality of myself to other people. Let the demonstration of success in my life include the success of being able to accept my flaws and failures. Strive for the freedom of being authentic.