Is Social Media Good For Us?

Hi there! I just felt compelled to discuss the up and downsides of social media. I have a whole lot of squirrel brain about all of the things related to this crazy world of social media. I am old enough (cough cough) to remember when it didn’t exist and there was a real beauty in those times. I feel like we could just be without wondering if our every move wasn’t being tracked via our own postings or with someone else catching our shenanigans on their phones. Nothing feels off limits and that feels, well, weird. And sometimes invasive. The days of not having a screen constantly at our disposal are so far behind us and I honestly miss them although going backwards is not an option as it seems the world of social media is here to stay.

Let me preface this by saying, if you are a social media influencer or social media manager, good for you. If you are doing what you love then that is just straight up amazing and you are so lucky. We should all love what we do!

Earlier today, I had lunch with a friend and we were talking about social media and the world of influencers. We talked about how staged so much of it feels and how even in the ones that seem to be trying to be so authentic, it can often feel so not authentic. As a small business owner, I often feel like I am supposed to jump on the hamster wheel of curating the perfect social media for my business but guess what? I am also hell bent on being authentic to who I am which is a candle maker. Yes, I have to create content. Yes, I take photos and do little videos. No, I am not on TikTok. Yes, I have fun promoting my product and events. No, I don’t want to spend an excessive (to me) amount of time creating social content when I have actual products to create for my actual business. I know, this might be an unpopular opinion or maybe you are like, “yes girl, I feel you”.

I think having social media is a good idea to promote business and to be relevant in a time where everyone finds their information on a screen. I am happy to contribute BUT I don’t need another job of curating hours and hours of reels and perfect posts. I am also not one who has ever been about keeping up with the Jones. It’s not who I am and I try hard to always just be me. Even if that means I might be missing the business boat in some ways. I am huge on in-person connections. Those connections fill my cup and bring me joy. I can also say that I have made some sweet online connections too so it’s most definitely not all bad.

Often times we follow people because something draws us in. Maybe it’s because they are funny, serious, sarcastic or it’s because they wear cute clothes or do fun tutorials. We are all so individual in our tastes and what pulls us in. So often we unfollow because things feel disingenious or repetitive. Another downside of social media is that it can make ‘regular’ people feel less than. I mean, comparison is the thief of joy, right? When I feel like someone isn’t making me feel good in any way, I mute or unfollow. It frees up my brain to take in the good stuff that I stumble upon. Connecting with people or posts who bring me joy is what I strive for. I do believe that in person connection is the best kind of connection. There is usually less room for comparison and confusion as what you see is in real life right there in front of your face.

Ironically, after this conversation with a friend, I stumbled upon an Instagram influencer that I recently started following and she was crying. She was crying over the misery that social media and excessive followers has caused her. What started as fun started to feel like she was selling her soul. It was just eye opening to the behind the scenes and the emotional toll it can have on people, particularly influencers. If you are wondering what the heck I am talking about, I linked it here.

Don’t even get me started on the mean people on social media. The ones who live to tear others down. I feel like mean people are more present on social media cause they have a screen to hide behind. Mostly. There are still plenty of mean in-person kind of people out there but social media meanies are next level. That’s the other downside of social – the meanies. So the more you are on these apps, the thicker skin you might need to have to not take any of it personally.

So while I have a whole bunch of opinions on our online world, they are a mix of good and sorta bad. I guess my question for you is, do you think social media does more harm than good or vice versa? I think just like our choices in who we surround ourselves with, the social media world is very subjective. Whatever your relationship with social media, I hope it’s one that is healthy for you! Make sure it’s bringing you joy and not angst.