Sponsored Content

Getting real on people's highlight reels (aka Social Media)


  • By
  • | 12:00 a.m. December 4, 2020
  • Palm Coast Observer
  • Opinion
  • Share

We’ve all seen it... The mom whop osts pictures of her child(ren) with matching outfits - stain free of course - and looking flawless herself! Based on her posts, she looks so successful at work and seems to have the “perfect” relationship with her husband.

What’s missing from the posts are close ups of the two prior kiddo outfit changes after juice was spilled or of her face on the other six days a week that she’s too tired or overwhelmed to put on her makeup, the sleepless nights worried about deadlines and if she’s been working  too much or post about the fact that she and her husband are in such a busy season of their life that they feel like ships passing in the night.

I bet that “perfect” mom is a lot more like you than you think. There are many reasons that we use social media: work, sharing, building confidence, and more. We often take what we’re seeing at surface value, but is that always the case? People don’t tend to share their negative news on social media, and if they did, it wouldn’t be a very fun place to visit. That’s why we so often hear it referred to as a highlight reel.

There are times when pictures of day-to-day lives are shared to keep in touch with a long distance relative or friend. Brady and I’s extended family live all over the country. We definitely use social media so that they can see how Elijah is growing and changing and to keep them updated on what’s going on in our busy, toddler-run lives.

We’re all longing for connection, especially in these last several months. Sometimes it might be a simple post about their favorite TV show and other times, it can go deeper - perhaps sharing something she’s been working on or working through. Just like when we’re planning a wedding, we share those steps with the world and often end up connecting with other brides to be or wedding vendors. When we go through difficult times, we may also be searching for someone who understands what we’re going through or just hoping someone will listen.

As we head into the holidays, it can often feel like everyone you know has the perfect decorations, cooking skills, or even child(ren). [Ha!] Always remember we are watching a highlight reel, of a human being, and on the other side of that account, she’s doing the best she can as a mama, wife, friend, daughter, whatever, with the tools she believes she has available, just like you.

 

 

Latest News

×

Your free article limit has been reached this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited digital access to our award-winning local news.