Social Media: Attention Seeking


Yesterday on Instagram and Facebook I shared a story regarding my psychiatrist appointment and current fears regarding my liver and other aspects of my life. I included two pictures of my teary face and signed off by saying "Sorry, I needed to get that off of my chest."

 This morning as I reviewed it and noticed how many people viewed it on both platforms, I've decided to make this post.

 To be completely honest: I hate social media due to the aspect that it causes many people to turn into attention-seekers. They love to make their lives look perfect through what they portray on social media. Filters, hashtags, and selfies dominate platforms and compete for likes and followers.

I previously deleted my old Facebook and Instagram accounts and now have new ones for the purpose of sharing my story with mental illness and to do what most people on social media do not: portray the real and raw of everyday life. Which often isn't pretty and can be quite boring. Besides seeking attention, many social media users fight to make their lives look as interesting and fun/friend-filled as possible by posting daily photos of excursions or interactions. It can be sickening and annoying.

 The reason I decided to post those selfies of my crying face along with my fears and current discouragement is that I am trying to show how much social media can cause us to hide. I am learning to use my voice to reach out for help in multiple ways: by talking to my therapist and psychiatrist, by telling my church, by talking to my friends, and by being open on social media.

 Here are some of the responses I got to my Instagram/Facebook story yesterday:

















These responses are what validate me to keep on going in sharing my struggles and fears openly on social media. I do not do it for attention, glory, or sympathy. I do it because I know there are others like me who cannot voice their struggles and/or are also tired of the phoniness of social media and the pressure to make everything about life look perfect.

Strive on, and never give up. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Re Re: "God Loves You" - July 2018 vs. July 2019

Image
"Trauma isn't something we ought to take lightly. Not even I know the nature of his past, but it's best for us and for him to avoid it for the time being. There will be a proper time for him to tell us everything."... In his eyes, I see he's still disquieted. But behind it, there's a well of fire and lightning. A silent strength in his soul is longing to be acknowledged and believed in. This kid's got something special, and his decision to join our quest will be the first step in his journey of self-discovery. - Tarento The Epic of Marindel: Chosen, page 152 ------------------------------ Back in July of last year, I was going through hell in the throes of my illness. The medication I was on at the time had been prescribed under the pretense of a misdiagnosis, which caused it to only worsen my symptoms. I was in agony. Everything hurt, day in and day out, and all I could do was rage and cry, drinking myself into numbness to have some relief. Of co...
Read more

2019: Chapter 2 - My Student Saga

Image
January. February. March. April. June. July. August. September. Fall, to me, is the best time of year. When the leaves die, yet they change. When people intentionally dress up and let themselves free, despite wearing masks. When the cold becomes to come, and the sharpness makes one alert. Autumn. September. I began my student-teaching on September 5th. I was placed at Santiago High in Corona. I had never heard of the school before in my life. I dressed up all nice, actually did my hair, and drove there in the early morning. I got to see the sunrise over the school. It felt telling of my time there. I met my master teacher, a powerhouse of a woman. She immediately hugged me and told me how excited she was to have me. It eased my nerves. I watched the students pour in. I just watched and smiled, absolutely terrified on the inside. I did not yet understand the school's schedule, so I did not know I was only meeting a portion of the students I would be teach...
Read more