Social Media & Selfies

I have a love-hate relationship with social media. 

I love that you stumbled onto this blog via social media! I love that it keeps me connected to friends who are in different time zones. I love seeing what exciting adventures others are embarking on. I love the way people use social media as a platform for good. I also love that I did not grow up with social media. 

I hate that social media is addicting. I hate that social media makes you feel inadequate if you do not have enough ‘follower’ ‘likes’ or ‘retweets’. I hate that social media is an avenue for online bullying. I hate social media for sucking me into its web of lies. 

I came across some interesting statistics…

• 55 percent of girls and 34 percent of teen boys say "overall, social media makes me feel more self-conscious about my appearance."

• 58 percent of teen girls say "seeing pictures of other people living glamorous-looking lives on social media makes me feel bad about myself.” 

Social media creates unrealistic expectations. We compare our behind the scenes to everyone else’s highlight reel. 

My heart hurts for the young girl who uses social media to get attention from the wrong crowd. The number of selfies she takes before she gets the ‘perfect one’ just to open it on another app to filter out her flaws. Comparing herself to her popular classmate, as the popular girl’s ‘likes’ increase the young girl’s self esteem decreases. 

My heart breaks for the boy who uses social media to hide behind. While his football pictures get more ‘likes’ than he can count, behind the jersey, the muscles and the tough bad boy persona he is hurting inside. He is using social media to mask his pain.

That is all social media is - a mask. 

A mask to make it look like you have it all together. 

A mask to show off the amazing trip you went on.

A mask to filter and hide behind your flaws.

We focus more on Snapchatting where we are than actually physically being present with those around us. We edit and filter our photos to make them picture perfect. 

It is so easy to scroll through Facebook and envy what you see. 

It is easy to compare yourself to the supermodels you see on Instagram. 

It is easy to hide behind the mask of filters and pretend you have this perfect life. 

I fall into these categories too and let the lies begin to weasel their way into my mind. Suffocating me of the truth. The truth that the people on the other side of the Instagram photos DO NOT have a perfect life. No one is perfect no matter how hard we strive to be. 

The only perfect person is, Jesus Christ. 

He created you, loves you, adores you, and He died for YOU! He does not want you to hide behind filters because you are worth so much more. 

Worth more than the “likes” your pictures accumulate. 

Worth more than your relationship status. 

Worth more than all the money in the world. 

Worth more than rubies and gold. 

“She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her” Proverbs 3:15

I am a sucker for The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. I know what you are already thinking. Stupid show. Unrealistic expectations. I know I get it. Butttt one of the Bachelorettes I follow on Instagram, challenged her followers to post a #realstagram picture. 

A selfie with no filters or makeup. I had been working on this blog long before she even posted it. This subject had been on my heart and her post solidified it. 

I have never ever posted a selfie before. I hate taking selfies. Selfies are just not my thing but here you go. My first ever selfie. No makeup, no filter, just me. 

I challenge you to join the #realstagram movement because behind all the filters, edits and social media apps we are all fearfully and wonderfully made! By a perfect God who loves you so much that He was nailed to a cross. Do not let your identity be in the 'likes' and the selfies but rather in the One who knit you together just the way you are, perfectly imperfect. 

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139:13-14