We all know there are good and bad aspects to social media. We can stay in touch with family and friends, wish them happy birthday, and use feeds as digital classifieds. But studies have shown social networking can also cause serious psychological problems like depression and low self-esteem.
It is possible to take advantage of all the benefits of Facebook, Instagram, and the like without falling prey to the negative consequences social media can often produce.
Don’t ignore reality
Every post doesn’t necessarily need to be a description of you running with the bulls in Pamplona or a photo of you on the beach in Tahiti. If you’ve ever read the journals of your ancestors, it’s likely that you were fascinated with the daily routines of life. Posting about carpools or making dinner shows that your life isn’t just one amazing adventure after another. You are documenting real life, and that is wonderful enough.
Show your warts
It can be tempting to only post photos of when you and your life look fantastic. That fabulousness can happen by camera angle, lighting or a little Photoshop. But none of us look flawless all of the time. We all want to see pictures of each other when we don’t look our best. Let others see your muffin top/love handles once in while (most of us have them). Post that shot when your double chin is in full glory. Or maybe even let everyone see your sink full of dirty dishes or your car with fast food wrappers littering the floor. It endears us to one another to know that we all have chinks in our picture-perfect armor.
Be vulnerable
Nearly every person on social media has a struggle they are facing. Many people have more struggles than they can count. While some of those situations can be almost suffocating at times, it can be helpful to share them with your friends on social media. That doesn’t mean you need to hang all your dirty laundry out to dry, but you can tastefully share your heartaches and disappointments.
You will find that others are often going through the same struggles or have in the past. For most people, it can be liberating and calming to know that we don’t suffer alone. Your friends and followers may be able to share advice or ideas on how to handle your situation that could be helpful. They could also just provide support or words of encouragement to help you through the day. Plus, it might be freeing to let down the facade — even if only for one post — that you have everything in your life under control.
Support others who show their weaknesses
Just as it takes guts for you to be vulnerable on social media, it takes courage for others to do so as well. So support their vulnerability by offering your own support and encouragement to those who dare to bare their flaws online. Never shame or mock someone who is opening their heart. And it never hurts to remember that if you don’t have something nice to say … well, you know the rest.
Take perfection with a grain of salt
Realize that even though it seems as if some of your friends’ lives are filled solely with glorious vacations and angelic children, no one’s life is perfect. Everyone’s kid gets pink eye once in a while, everyone has an unmade bed every so often, and everyone feels despair on occasion. Each of us has days when we feel we live a charmed life, and each of us has days when we feel we can’t even get out of bed. It is only when we understand that truth that we can truly be friends and not just so-called friends on social media.
Amy Iverson is a graduate of the University of Utah. She has worked as a broadcast journalist in Dallas, Seattle, Italy and Salt Lake City. Amy, her husband and three kids live in Summit County, Utah. Contact Amy on Facebook.com/theamyiverson