With the phenomena of social media such as Facebook, Instagram and TiKTok, we all share images of our “best selves,” particularly during the holiday season.
While social media can be a vastly effective form of communication and entertainment, it also tends to create false narratives and unreal expectations of how life should be, rather than how it truly is.
Whether we are posting pictures of ourselves engaging in holiday festivities with friends and family, or discussing our New Year Resolutions, we carefully select curated images of how we wish others to see us.
In reality, there may have been people we were not nice to at the grocery store and vice versa; we may have argued with our spouses, kids, or siblings; we may have been feeling overwhelmed by the mad holiday rush before that festive family portrait, fantastic selfie or profile shot…the list goes on.
We may even be suffering from depression, loneliness or other ailments that are well-hidden in fear of what our followers might think. Yet, we continue to put forth our best qualities, while hiding our “undesirable” ones.
Consequently, we begin to feel a loyalty to upholding our carefully constructed avatars, rather than the side that makes us genuinely human and unique, which is our true point of intersection and identification with others.
We may even eventually come to believe these socially constructed selves as who we genuinely are. The lines can become easily blurred when we are striving to live a “perfect life” with no room for imperfection.
And the idea of our curated self travels with us. Whether we are at the grocery store, at work, taking a train, sitting in the airport waiting to go on vacation or even on vacation, it is not out of the ordinary to see individuals with their heads buried in their devices, failing to notice their surroundings.
For many, the world on their social media pages has become more appealing than their actual environment. Ironically, spending so much time on social media, people can often feel more isolated than connected.
In reality, the imperfections and messiness of life, is what makes up the significant milestones and growth we’ve achieved throughout our lives as individuals. Family, friendships, childbirth, work, education, for example, all include non glamorous and challenging components.
There is just as much beauty in imperfection and making mistakes; and when we recognize and embrace that side of ourselves, we are also capable of growth, mercy, forgiveness and compassion towards ourselves and others.
So during this season of New Year Resolutions and new beginnings, consider embracing what makes us all vulnerable and resilient.
The Cultural Easton 