social

My mom often told me I shared too much. She loved to follow me on Facebook and would worry (she always worried) if I wasn’t posting, but she wasn’t necessarily a fan of my content. Yes I shared a lot. And often. And emotionally. But just as most on social media, it was highly curated in its own way. 

Now that I’ve been mostly Facebook free for a stretch it’s interesting to look more objectively at all that sharing. There was something about a sense of community. There was something about recognition and appreciation and acknowledgment. I think that’s true for so many people - perhaps in rea life we don’t get what we crave or want or need or feel we deserve and so this online community can provide it in a way. Positives for sure. But it’s also addictive and can feed into doubt and insecurity. 

I posted something last night, for the first time and found myself back in the cycle of checking and checking again to see who liked and what comments and compare it against others who had more engagement and feedback. Not healthy for me. But sharing in some ways is. Maybe that’s the work - figuring out how to connect in ways that are more positive and sustainable for me.