Think Before You Spazz #MyTwoCents
Why what you see is not always what you get
Never judge a book by its cover. We hear this expression often enough but it isn’t until the shoe is on the other foot that we really understand what it means. Social media (for the most part) is an array of perfectly filtered images showing mostly happy people, fantastic meals and vacations to die for. What’s behind the lens also matters though, especially since more often than not it’s far from perfect.
This is also true when it comes to the world of blogging. Yes. I’m letting the cat out of the bag folks, but the truth is, a blogger’s life is not perfect. Yes, many have better than average skills when it comes to social media management, photography and the tips and tricks of the trade, but what you see is often not all there is to the picture.
There are many that struggle with major health, mental, financial and/or marital issues, children who are unwell and the list goes on. They may have over time learnt the craft of perfecting an image and the final product but you have no clue what goes on behind the scenes nor how much work and time may have gone in to the blog post/update you read during the day.
This is why it is SO important to show kindness online and off. Respect one another. Give the other person the benefit of the doubt. That email you sent that has not received a response in over 48 hours. Take a moment and come up with just three possible reasons why it might be so. Think before you spazz.
Social laws dictate that when you’re happy and have wonderful news to share, you’ll break a record number of “likes” or “yay” comments, but when things are not so great, you a)may not even feel like sharing much at all b)may come off as the “downer” the one seeking sympathy, or so on. This makes it all the more difficult for many going through tough times to feel comfortable enough to share how they feel.
Think about it, you’d much rather read a “Just got a promotion at work, going on vacay to celebrate!” accompanied by a smiling, chipper selfie with two thumbs up than a “Feeling majorly depressed, can’t get off the couch and haven’t showered in three days” type post. The fact of the matter is that everyone carries their own baggage and not all of it is perfectly colour coordinated and instaglammed up. Remember that. Be kind and always think before you spazz.
Everyone does have their own lives, but I think when the news is depressing, it has no place in social media. Especially the vaguebooking and people just looking for sympathy.
For me, my blog is just more or less entertainment. I was sick with candida when I started it, but I didn’t write downer posts, I just wrote what was going on in my life and how I was dealing with it. I have helped many people along the way and many have helped me. Now that I am better… I post for fun. I get a lot of flack from those who are sick and want free advice. They think I should post about sickness all the time. Poo on that!!!
I think I sometimes Spazz due to my impatience level but on the flipside when someone is not so nice.. I think in the back of my head.. maybe they are going through some stuff.
I try to be somewhat balanced in my posting. I don’t want to seem down every single day, but if I’m having a tough day, I may instagram some of the funny things. Or tweet it. Occasionally I post it on Facebook. You’re right, though. We don’t all live these super fun, Pinterest-worthy lives!
You’re right, you never know what someone is going through. No one benefits from passive or active aggression.
So true! Thank you so much for the great post ^_^
I agree so much! I always try to show kindness and if there happens to be something that I just can’t agree with I avoid!
It’s true, even the happiest of people have their problems; some are just better at hiding it all away!
I always say, you can’t always believe what you see on social media. I know some truly unhappy and depressed people that appear as they are on cloud 9 with what they post. I think it’s sad actually.
So true. There’s always a story behind the story, and it may not be as pretty as the pictures that are shown publicly. We all need to be compassionate to each other.
Absolutely! And, the holidays often bring out the worst in people.
I definitely agree with Robin. There is a time and a place for everything and if you’re going to post depressing news on social media you might as well tell the entire story.
This is so true. I have caught myself a few times after realizing a person’s impairment. Plus even if it’s justified it doesn’t mean it’s right.
You really don’t ever know what anyone else is going through. It is so important to be kind- even online, when you won’t face as many consequences for being rude.
That is why I always try to get the full story before reacting. Unfortunately, we are all human and sometimes we jump the gun, so to speak.
What a great post. You never know what someone is going through. I also hope that if someone does open up they are not judged.
It is always good to be sensitive towards others. You never know what is underneath the surface.
Instaglam, I love that! What a great post. People are often mean and inconsiderate. I’ve been one of the lucky ones and so far haven’t had to deal with anything like that but I can sure imagine how much it would hurt to have it done to me. I try to always think before I speak…or in this case right. Nobody knows what is going on on the other side of the screen.
I think that sometimes people need to keep things behind closed doors. It’s not all meant for the world to see!
I totally agree, we should all just be respectful; too many people get upset or mad at such little things. Even if you’re in the right, you don’t have to go crazy!
I set my blog up because of my mental health issues I needed a way to cope – it has of course grown from there but sometimes I wonder if people do remmeber I am still a person behind a screen.
What a great post! And it’s true that we can’t always see what’s really behind the perfect image we see on social media. I’ll try to be considerate and try not to spazz much.
We need to be kind to each other on and off line. A smile does wonders for others and it’s free!
I’ve been around blogging for a long time. Like, more than 14 years. It not any different there are just more social media outlets.
I try to make my posts light and happy. There is so much negativity everywhere i do not need to spread it further.
Thank you for this wonderfully written post. I often call Facebook Fakebook.
People can be so mean online. I totally agree that you need to stop and think first.
What a kind reminder to be considerate of one another, in real life and online. Social media is wonderful but it does allow for thoughtlessness to take place a lot quicker than it might in real life, sometimes.
oh the vagueness annoys me so much it’s so attention seeking. I don’t mind reading downer post because hey we all have our bad days but if it’s filled with it all the time I’m sure not many would want to be around that negativity.
We all go through stuff. What I don’t like is the people that post about depressing stuff all the time. Especially if they are not doing anything to make it better.
It’s sad that so many people feel like they can treat others with disrespect online. They hide behind their computer screens and say whatever they feel like when having any thought about how it might affect the other person. Thank you for sharing this post girl.