We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
So, this has been weighing heavily on my mind. Since when did our value get quantified by how much we are LIKED and how much we LIKE others? Last week, I saw a viral post on my Facebook feed about some teens telling an old hag like us that it must have been great to grow up before Facebook. When asked why they answered by sharing a new kind of peer pressure. It seems that it is not enough to be pleasant and kind these days. These kids are feeling pressure on social media to never discriminate between friends. They shared that they feel tied to their tablets in order not to forget to LIKE a friend’s post or comment on another’s picture because the wouldn’t want Suzie to be mad if Katie liked Allie’s picture and not hers.
I can’t imagine the stress that these kids are creating for themselves. I kind of know how they feel, but maybe without the cattiness. Often when I post a picture on Instagram or a blog link on Facebook I take a deep breath and watch people LIKE it. It gives me instant gratification. Makes me smile. Sometimes five or ten minutes go by and no on LIKES it. I think “hmmm mmm is this thing on?” I see my post. It’s sitting there without a single pat on the back. I think “should I delete it?” or “gah that was a lame picture”. Sometimes I do delete. Sometimes I walk away. But I always over think it. Then I criticize myself for over thinking it.
I am a grown woman with way too many things to worry about than this. These children are fragile. I can’t imagine how these tweens and teens wrap their heads around social media these days. Self image is hard enough without this need to be liked and validated by social media. It’s all so transparent. Like, how can you say that you like me if you don’t LIKE my pictures?
How are we going to raise these kids to know how to value themselves and their ideas when social media has became the judge and the jury? Those girls above said that they wished that instead of posting what they were doing on each other’s Facebook that they could actually be out doing stuff. This is going to become a tough burden to bear as we become more social media dependent. I wish that I had the answers. We can teach them that only God can judge them. Or to always be true to yourself. But, who doesn’t love the instant gratification of 36 Facebook likes? Is the answer just to walk away? to log off? I mean it’s not like my tombstone will one day state my number of Facebook fans or Linked In contacts.
Is this all too much? When did it cross the line? It surely is a first world problem at it’s finest. Life is amazing. It’s short. It can be as cumbersome or uplifting as you choose to make it. I kind of wish that Facebook would just break. Maybe we just need to unplug. Well, not until you go like all of my pictures on Instagram. And Facebook. Then my pins. And please re-tweet.
Thanks for reading. I really do like you guys, maybe not like like you, but I definitely like you.
I wish that I had all of the answers.
This is very worrisome to me. I honestly hope to keep my daughter away from social media as long as possible. I think kids are too immature and overpressured to have this added to their lives and it makes me sad. I realize that she will likely have some sort of social media access at some point and at that point I truly hope I can help to teach her the pitfalls of becoming too wrapped up in such a world and limit her time on such sites without disrupting her social network.