Measuring One’s Expectations

Let’s be honest here, how many go back and check a post on Facebook or Twitter to see if you got any “Likes” or “Retweets”? As for myself, I do it all the time. My excuse for doing so is because I’m promoting my blog or whatever. To an extent that is true, I do check to see how many hits I get on a certain posting. But to be honest, I also do it as an ego boast to gauge how people think about me. Now rather that’s a smart way to measure one’s success or expectations, now that you may want to question.

Those of us who already tote around a damaged self-image, we should be very careful how we read into others reactions to our social media lives. Just look in the comments section of most any online publication and you’ll see the cruel, heartless responses trolls love to make. And don’t think that trolling is a new thing; it’s just that the pre-internet trolls were brave enough to say shit to your face. Unlike modern trolls that are embolden due to their anonymity online.

To measure one’s worth by the number of twitter followers you have doesn’t measure your true worth (Unless you’re you know who). The healthiest thing you or I can do is love ourselves and build a healthy network of individuals around us. If you use social media, use it for what it is a tool for networking. Don’t let social media take the place of good old fashion conversation and personal connection.

We all live busy lives and social media is a great way to broadcast news and information quickly and easily. But just because no one comments or posts “Likes” about the great Brunswick Stew you made yesterday; doesn’t mean it wasn’t good. It simply means they are busy living or cooking for themselves.

Life is much too short to be pasting a thousand pics of your cat online (Guilty). So instead let’s all take more time to hold our grandchild, laugh with a friend, or visiting the grave of someone we love. We were not designed to just connect over the airwaves. We are a social creature, so let’s do our best to be that way, and quit worrying about how many "Likes" we get. Instead be thankful for the love we receive.