Why are some people so opposed to others being happy? I just don't understand this phenomenon. Quite often, I'll see posts or articles in my feed saying that Social Media is fake, people are sick of seeing others' 'perfect lives' and that Social Media doesn't show real life.
Sometimes I feel guilty about posting a photo sharing a happy memory or that we've had a lovely day out somewhere as I'm always aware of how this may make others feel. I would hate to think of anyone seeing this photo and saying it's fake or that I'm trying to portray a 'perfect life' because I'm really not. It is possible to feel happy and want to spread this feeling with the world with no agenda and we shouldn't be made to feel guilty about this.
As a fellow blogger Steph mentioned the other day, we are all in charge of our Social Media. If you follow somebody who only posts perfect photos and that's not your cup of tea/it starts to make you feel bad about your own life, simply unfollow them and move on. Don't pass this guilt onto the person who is posting - it's their feed and they can post what they like.
In life, everyone has their good days and bad days. We're not likely to want to look back on the day it rained all day and we spent the day doing laundry and cleaning the kitchen. We are much more likely to want to remember the lovely days spent in the sunshine playing with the kids or going out for a memorable meal. The beauty of Social Media is that it allows us to capture and remember these precious memories and I really think this should be celebrated more.
I have my fair share of life problems but it's not always appropriate to share them with the world or post when I'm having a bad day (although sometimes I will as the online world can also be a fab place to find support and empathy) but often when I'm having a good day or a moment when I'm feeling particularly happy and content with life, I end up feeling guilty about it and restrict myself from sharing with the world. Can you ever imagine posting 'I am so happy - life is pretty perfect right now' on Social Media because I can't. It's almost as if there's some kind of social stigma around posting things like this. I can already picture the eye-rolling and 'look at her bragging about her perfect life again' if this was to happen but why is this the case? Why as a society do we choose not to celebrate happiness? It's a mystery to me.
Anyway, moving forward, I'm going to try and stop feeling so guilty and embrace the moments where life is perfect. Why shouldn't we be allowed to embrace those happy life moments and share them with the world/post about these days and look back on them with a smile? It's perfectly ok to feel happy and content with life and I think we should celebrate these moments more not less. I guess what I'm trying to say is, if you're feeling happy - post away, if you're feeling sad - post away. Do what you like and don't let anyone else make you feel guilty about your own feelings and choices.
As a fellow blogger Steph mentioned the other day, we are all in charge of our Social Media. If you follow somebody who only posts perfect photos and that's not your cup of tea/it starts to make you feel bad about your own life, simply unfollow them and move on. Don't pass this guilt onto the person who is posting - it's their feed and they can post what they like.
In life, everyone has their good days and bad days. We're not likely to want to look back on the day it rained all day and we spent the day doing laundry and cleaning the kitchen. We are much more likely to want to remember the lovely days spent in the sunshine playing with the kids or going out for a memorable meal. The beauty of Social Media is that it allows us to capture and remember these precious memories and I really think this should be celebrated more.
I have my fair share of life problems but it's not always appropriate to share them with the world or post when I'm having a bad day (although sometimes I will as the online world can also be a fab place to find support and empathy) but often when I'm having a good day or a moment when I'm feeling particularly happy and content with life, I end up feeling guilty about it and restrict myself from sharing with the world. Can you ever imagine posting 'I am so happy - life is pretty perfect right now' on Social Media because I can't. It's almost as if there's some kind of social stigma around posting things like this. I can already picture the eye-rolling and 'look at her bragging about her perfect life again' if this was to happen but why is this the case? Why as a society do we choose not to celebrate happiness? It's a mystery to me.
Anyway, moving forward, I'm going to try and stop feeling so guilty and embrace the moments where life is perfect. Why shouldn't we be allowed to embrace those happy life moments and share them with the world/post about these days and look back on them with a smile? It's perfectly ok to feel happy and content with life and I think we should celebrate these moments more not less. I guess what I'm trying to say is, if you're feeling happy - post away, if you're feeling sad - post away. Do what you like and don't let anyone else make you feel guilty about your own feelings and choices.
What do you think? Does feeling happy fill you with guilt?
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I totally agree with you on this. I think, as a nation, we tend towards self-deprecation, and, to some degree, negativity. I think we're a bit frightened to post positive things in case people think we're showing off. I used to sometimes think twice before posting things about my kids' acheivements, but now I just post what I want, when I want, and if people don't like it then they can just scroll past. As you say, I want to be able to look back and see the happy memories. No one's life is perfect all of the time, and I do have rant online sometimes (Although normally on Twitter, not Instagram), but I try to keep it positive, and I don't think that's anything to be ashamed of.
ReplyDeleteWhile I agree, I also find myself trying to strike the perfect balance because I think it can tip too far thethe I way as well!
ReplyDeleteFor the most part I keep my page funny and light-hearted to avoid the difficultly of getting it exactly right, but if I post something personal I find myself checking I've not had a run of overblown happiness or misery!
You're right though and I agree with the first commenter too - we're naturally predisposed towards self-deprecation and negativity.