The Blog

In all honesty, social media can feel superficial sometimes. I have seen or heard of many people getting rid of social media or deleting their accounts recently. It makes me sad because social media has been such a great way to stay connected during a time when it may not be as easy as it used to. But, I also understand the pressure and anxiety that social media can bring. It has potential to be a wonderful thing, but it doesn’t always play out that way.

It’s hard to stay on social media when it feels like everyone around you has it all together. Comparison is truly the thief of joy when you only see the best parts of a persons life… There have been times where I have longed to have other people’s houses or to look more like someone else. I am reminded that my skin isn’t perfect, there are clothes I wish I had, and I don’t take the world’s most beautiful photos. It’s hard to be bombarded with this every day and seeing everyone else’s seemingly perfect lives.

What I have been able to realize recently is that social media doesn’t have to feel that way! It can be such a wonderful and relational thing. I am determined to make my social media presence more intentional in 2021.

What I mean by this is sharing the little things or sharing the hard things. Vulnerability can be so powerful and it can bring people together. So, I want to learn to share how I struggle with dark circles under my eyes and how sometimes life is hard. I really tried to start this practice last year when planning our wedding was a nightmare. I shared the laughter, tears, and the million plans that came while we tried to figure things out. I shared my stories in the hopes that it would help at least one of the other brides-to-be.

Being more intentional may look like showing up more often on you social media or maybe you can engage more with the people that you are friends with. You can also go through your friends list and take some people off who are not a part of your life anymore, this will create a space that you may feel more comfortable in. Other intentional things include taking time away from people who make social media a stressful thing for you, or maybe you need to take some time away from certain apps entirely. Twitter was a form of social media that I stopped using, it was a place where I perceived more drama that I wanted to deal with. Not that other forms of media don’t come with drama (I’m looking at you Facebook) but I knew that Twitter was not a place I wanted or needed to be.

You don’t just have to take things out of social media for it to become more genuine. Intentional social media is sharing the pictures or stories that mean the most to you. They may not look the prettiest on your Instagram feed but you can create a more genuine space on your profile if you approach what you share in this way. Maybe starting to share the every day moments can make your social presence more relatable or maybe trying to comment more will help you keep things relational. Every step we take towards intentional interactions on every platform, the more joy and community we will feel.

I encourage you to think about how you can make your social media presence more intentional/relational/genuine. It is not a place where you have to prove that you are good at what you do or that you have it all together. So please share some more of those real and relatable moments that could bring light to someone else! I am so encouraged and excited to take small steps to a more intentional presence.

What will you be doing to make social media more intentional?