It’s safe to say we have all struggled with self-esteem issues at one point or another in our lives. Life’s not easy. We think horrible things about each other and often come to the realization that if we are capable of such atrocities, surely others can think the same or worse.
I’ve noticed how culturally we often peg social networks as the modern cause of self-esteem problems, and in many ways it’s true. Social networks give us a platform to be whoever we want to be. We can post the pictures we want people to see, check in at the popular places and tweet about the spectacular events occurring in our lives. We can do all of this while we still cry ourselves to sleep at night.
Is that social media’s fault? Does Facebook have a disclaimer that you can only post about your triumphs and never your failures?
I had never thought that FOMO (feelings of missing out) or low self-esteem from social media was something I necessarily struggled with. Of course seeing photos of my friends on picturesque beaches or court-side seats at a basketball game might spark up a little jealousy, but I have often felt it was an appropriate level.
I recently took a two-week hiatus from Facebook to test this hypothesis and also to rethink the way I approached social media as a whole. Was I contributing to other's negative emotions?
After two weeks away, I felt a strong conviction to simply share my story. Whatever that story may be. I began to realize just how contagious transparency could be.
Our stories are not something that can be debated. Our stories are not tied to political lines.
We have all felt pain, we have all been hurt, we have all had moments of low self-esteem.
When we are transparent with one another we begin to see what makes us all tick. We begin to realize why someone would have a certain set of beliefs or live the way they do.
I get it. Transparency is daunting. Why on earth would we want to share personal struggles with the world? I do think there is a time and a place for everything. There are certainly things that should be kept private or within relationships; things that should only be discussed offline.
But there is something to be said about transparency. There is something to be said about its contagious effect.
What if we reshaped the way social media was perceived? Not as a place of bragging or political rants, but as a non-judgment place to share authentic snapshots of our lives.
You see social networks aren’t an “us vs. them” battle. We are all a part of it. Each of us plays a role in the content that appears on our friends’ timelines.
What if I share a part of me? Will you share a part of you? I bet together we could show someone that they aren’t alone.
Transparency. It’s contagious.
