Thursday Thoughts...The Good and Bad of Social Media...My Opinions

Happy Thursday Girls!  One more day until Friday, and I cannot wait!!!  The first week back to school after a long break is always just the WORST!!!

 

Social Media...most of us can't live without it!!!

 

 

Ten years ago most of us knew nothing about Social Media, today pretty much all of us couldn't live without it.  I admit I use social media a lot!  I check Facebook and Instagram ALOT during the day, and I share a lot about my life on social media as well.  I post statuses that many could probably care less about, and post way more pictures than anyone probably cares to see!  I love social media for allowing me to reconnect with old friends, I love seeing where they are now, and I love seeing their families they have created.  I love that social media allows my family out of state to "keep up" with us and see my children grow up.  I love seeing all of my cousins and their babies.  I love all the friendships I now have, that if it weren't for things like Facebook and Instagram, I would have never gotten the opportunity to "meet" some truly amazing people.  I love ALL these things about social media, but as always with good comes the fair share of bad.  I have also unfortunately seen the "ugly" side of social media!  I have personally experienced how truly awful someone can be through a computer.  I would be lying if I said it didn't bother me or hurt my feelings, but I am also smart enough to realize that it is very easy to "talk" behind a computer.  It is surely sad, but some people can only feel good about themselves by putting someone else down. 

For me, social media has introduced me to a wonderful community of women...wives and mothers..who are kind enough to share their tips, tricks, and ideas with others...they share their lives too and I am so grateful.  I know there are many ideas I have seen on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest that I have taken and used.  There have been items someone has posted and I  have bought that very same exact item.  There are so so many haters out there, quick to call someone a "copycat", making ridiculous statements such as "oh you are trying to be like so and so...."  SERIOUSLY?????It is almost laughable to me, I am sure there are a good million of us out there wearing UGG boots, so does that make us all copycats and wannabe's?  If there is something I love, I share it, with the hope that someone else will love it just as much as I do.  I put so much of my life "out there' and I guess by doing so it opens up for the haters to hate.  However, I am glad I am to the point that I can just laugh about it.  There is absolutely no one else I would rather be than ME!!!!!!!

 

Social Media, in my opinion, for the most part showcases the "best" of everyone's life.  I am not stupid enough to believe that everyone's life however is all rainbows and butterflies all the time.  But let's be honest, do we really want to scroll through Facebook and read nothing but depressing posts?  Do we want to open Instagram and see photos of nothing but dirty kitchens and crying babies?  NO...of course we don't!  I tend to fill my FB and IG with all the wonderful things going on in my life, I want to share pictures of my kiddos smiling and looking sweet, but obviously that is only just a small part of my life.  There are days when my boys spend an hour literally beating the hell out of each other, days when my husband just pisses me off, days when I am so fed up and overwhelmed I just think to myself "what the hell was I thinking having 5 kids???!!!"  Just because we only share the happy, fun things in our life, doesn't mean we all aren't all dealing with a bunch of BS too!  Whether someone is reading my blog, or looking at my Facebook or Instagram, I certainly hope they realize it's just a portion of my life.  My life, my husband, my kids...none of them are perfect, but they are perfect for me. 

 

 

 

My life is far from glamorous, I had a baby when I was 18, we struggled.  I was divorced after 15 years of marriage, and left alone to raise 5 kids, I struggled.  I have had health scares with my children, I have had two of my sons have surgery as infants.  I have stressed about finances, I have worried some months how all our bills would get paid.  I deal with all the same things that everyone else does, I just don't always share that part of my life on social media.  So when people say ridiculous things like my life is so easy, or you just don't understand because you live a  nice life, I get angry! 

#truth

I've been through a lot in my 40 years and as much as I wish all people could be kind, I know that just will never be.  So many times I have said to myself I am just going to de-activate my Facebook and Instagram, because I was just so fed up with people, their opinions of how they thought I should live my life, and their comments filled with hate.  However, I am so glad I did not, because if I had, I would have never had the opportunity to "meet" some of the amazing people that I have.  I personally think it is totally fabulous that there are people that I call friends, that I have never met in person.  (And seriously if I had, my Elf on the Shelf would have never moved all holiday season long....HA!!!!)

I've gotten some "thick skin" over the years, and have really worked on not letting other people's words affect me and hurt me.  This is of course easier said than done!  For the most part I love all that social media brings into my life, I am thankful to all who put so much of themselves out there for us to read about.  I love following along with all the beautiful families and watching their children grow..it really is quite remarkable what the internet can do!  I love that the good outweighs the bad! 

At the end of the day, I am who I am, and I like myself!  Sure there are things I need to work on about myself, but isn't that true for everyone??  There is no one out there that I am striving to be like, no one out there who I want to copy their life into my own.  People will either like me or they won't, and I am ok with that..

 

Thanks so much for reading today....I am truly grateful to everyone who takes the time out of their day to read my blog....this is the BEST part of the internet and social media for me....amazing women like y'all!

 

Be sure to check back tomorrow for Friday Favorites!!

 

Have the Best Day Today!!!