After talking about the pressure to create blog content a couple of weeks ago, I began thinking more about churning out little pieces of myself for the internet and the way this process fits into my life. I realized that I've been feeling the pressure all over lately and figured that you might be too.
Social media is something that has exploded onto the scene over the last couple of years and I'm definitely still learning how to navigate with it as such a big part of our world. Sometimes I feel like I can't keep up with the world of my peers... a world of Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Not to wax poetic but I remember a time when social media didn't exist, I didn't have the whole of the web at my fingertips, people talked to each other face to face and friendships were forged not with likes but with intimate conversations and lots of quality time. We had dial up internet until I started high school and I remember when e-mail was becoming a big deal.
Lately I've really been struggling to keep up with all of my social channels and it's caused a lot of internal dialog (and a few discussions with friends and loved ones). Since keeping up with content is basically my job, I think about social media more than your average flat-lay lover. These days it all gets to be a bit much pretty quickly. I've noticed, over the past few months, that all of that connection is making me feel really lonely. Somehow, with more "friends" than ever and communication that takes seconds, I feel like I've lost touch with the people that are important to me. I'm constantly feeling inundated with choices of who to follow and overloaded with aspirational images that just leave me feeling bitter/jealous/not good enough.
Although scrolling through beautiful frame after beautiful frame on a tiny screen (Inspiration at your finger tips all the time? That's incredible!) can be great, it can also lead to a lot of pressure... especially for bloggers, makers and creators. There's constant pressure to capture wonderful moments, be surrounded by beauty all the time and make it all seem effortless and spontaneous. I guess that's part of the fun of things like Instagram but lately I've been taking a step back and asking myself a simple question: is this doing anything for me? Often times I find myself scrolling mindlessly and taking in all of that information is surely not serving me. I don't know about you but the pressure to keep up with the Jones' on Instagram is just not something I need.
My top three tips for beating the need to overshare (and over consume):
D I S T A N C E // When I start feeling overwhelmed by the need to update and check in with the updates of others, I take a break from social media. When all of the saccharine moments get to be a little too sweet, I try my hardest to create distance between my IRL life and my online life. The more I choose not to spend time on social media, the less I feel inadequate and the more creative I become.
P E R S P E C T I V E // Remember: all of those beautiful Insta-squares and Facebook statuses about promotions and engagements are someone's highlight reel. It's totally normal for us to want to share things we feel are appealing, inspiring or impressive and less likely that we'll own up to our misgivings or disappointments. When I start doubting whether or not my experiences are enough, I remember that I see myself in every light and often see my favorite bloggers or best friends at their best moments.
F O C U S // It seems like everyone is everywhere all the time! While it's tempting to jump on each and every social media bandwagon, I know my limits and choose to focus my time curating content in just a few places. I'm a big fan of Instagram (although I've been feeling a bit uninspired there lately), Tumblr and Pinterest but just can't get the hang of Twitter, Facebook or Snapchat. Focusing and limiting my social media time allows it to remain fun (most of the time) and effective.
What do you do to beat the social media frenzy? Do you ever feel the pressure to be perfect across all boards?
