Don't Let Social Media Crush Your Soul

We all have our own reality - the life we live every day, and depending on what is happening it can be wonderful, or it can be extremely difficult.

As we go through each day doing the best we can, what we see from other people on social media can crush our soul. While we struggle, nothing is worse than seeing the endless posts of how great someone's life is, or the constant affirmations telling us if we just think positive everything will be wonderful. It is not that simple.

Having said this, please know that I think it is great for those who are living the life they imagined. They are fortunate that what they have done in life has put them on the path to good things. For others it is not that they have taken the wrong path, it may be the path they were given has created struggles they had not imagined. Not everyone has the opportunity to make choices - sometimes they are made for them.

Social media can bring people together who may live far apart. Having the opportunity to see recent photos of family and friends can make our day. Sharing jokes about daily life can make us laugh at things we all deal with. Visions from around the world allow us to see places we have never been. These are the good side of this medium.

Then there is the soul crushing side. The things that make people feel as if they failed, and that their life will never measure up to all of those who share the happy faces and great adventures. What they are doing must be wrong since they cannot share the same big smiles, and the positive affirmations do not make a difference for them. Even if others may not have the life they present online, all that is seen is the "perfect" life in their pictures. 

Having a difficult life is enough to endure some days. We put one foot in front of the other and do the best we can; all the while trying to keep a positive attitude which is no easy task. Observing others as they share their reality can crush the soul of even the toughest person. 

There is no easy answer for this dilemma. Yes, we can choose to not look at the social media posts, but some days social media may be the only way we interact with others. Our way to make connections when there is no time for going out to see family or friends. 

We cannot control what others do or say on social media. But we can choose to participate in a way that is less stressful to our day.

We can make a choice to not let social media crush our soul.


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