"Authentic" Musings

(This is not necessarily a post about something that inspires me. This is just a post about my 2 cents on the subject of posing/authenticity in social media ;))

Awhile ago, I came across a buzzfeed article that I found hilarious: http://www.buzzfeed.com/stephaniemcneal/hipster-barbie#.mmANQAnRE

Basically, it pokes fun of how overly-staged people's lives can seem through the lens of social media. (Hash-tagging "live authentic" or other such sayings despite the misrepresenting their lives in accompanying pictures.)

(I found this humorous and it seemed fitting for the post ;))

My thoughts....

Number 1: Holy smokes, agreed!!!!! On several occasions, I have seen people post very pinteresty pictures about feeling inspired or about how rosy their day/life is, only to find out they were actually having a super crappy day or that their lives are in complete shambles. 

Number 2: Ummm....I love cool pictures! So...I actually enjoy the breathtaking nature shots, cleverly setup pictures of family/friends/things, and tributes to events that people got to experience. People are so creative, and it astounds me and inspires me. 

Number 3: I'm split! I am bugged that people so often present themselves falsely. But...would I like it any better if people were using social media to keep us updated about the mundane or unpleasant aspects of their lives? (#toasterbrokeagain) We like to share the positives! The cool trips we go on, the cool sights we see, the experiences (everyday or unusual) that we enjoy, and the people we love. (Even on crappy days or when much of our lives are in shambles, there are good things that happen, and it is great when people can acknowledge that.)

I have no real conclusion to this rant. The posing bugs me. The sharing of awesomeness inspires me. 

I think we are all trying to discover who our "authentic" self really is, probably because we develop that self in the process of trying to find it. 

Maybe the only real problems come if we let ourselves think (1) every second of our life must be snapchat/instagram/facebook/twitter-worthy or (2) only the post-worthy moments in life are valuable, or (3) when we allow ourselves to feel jealous or inferior when we see what everybody else is posting. 

Maybe the good comes when (1) we think how great it is that someone found enough joy in what they were experiencing to share it, (2) we feel inspired to do something or change something positive, or (3) we get to keep in touch with someone we don't see regularly, or (4) whatever other good you can think to get out of what people post. 

I guess this is the conclusion of my rant: enjoy the good that you encounter and let the rest fly by.

:)