Some Thoughts on Facebook

A few years ago, when I was going through some rough stuff, I had to take a break from going on Facebook.  I found myself playing the Comparison Game--why were others' lives going so well, it seemed, while I was struggling to even want to get up in the morning?

After 90 days away from Facebook, I found that I was able to rejoin the social media world and not get caught up in the Comparison Game anymore--I'd been cured!  When I encountered difficult times again, I no longer felt self-pity while seeing others' updates and pictures.  Yet, I couldn't help resenting people for being such "show-offs"…

Obviously, not everyone who posts on Facebook is showing off.  Some are simply sharing good news or simple pleasures with their friends.  Some are allowing their friends to live--and travel--vicariously through them.  Who am I to judge?

As someone who has struggled with "rejoicing with those who rejoice", I also happen to be a huge hypocrite.  For when I myself am going through seasons of blessing and prosperity, I tend to post more frequently on Facebook and to share pictures, despite the fact that this tendency in others used to bother me so much.

True, I always feel a sting of guilt whenever I do so.  Will this make someone going through tough times feel bad about their own less-than-happy situation?  Will I come across as insensitive?  As a show-off?  And yet, I still post, dismissing those concerns…

I'm still undecided about how I will use Facebook during this next season of my life.  I've moved and started a new venture, so perhaps some friends will want to see pictures (worth a thousand words of explanation!) of my new environment.  People often need visuals in order to understand what kind of life I'm living.  But I'm also aware of how I've felt in the past when people who seem to be living their dreams post about it on Facebook--and how my posts may make people feel.

When they see me post about my new academic adventure, will they know that I wanted to attend an Ivy League back in high school but had to focus on more important things, like my faith?  Will they know that it took years for me to stop wanting to come to Yale and that the dream had to die a long and painful death?  Will they know how humbled and grateful I am to be here now, and how undeserving I feel of what I believe to be a calling rather than a dream?

There were times back in the day when I gave up my dreams for Faith or for Family.  Those were painful times, and I didn't necessarily feel rewarded for my sacrifices--not until many years later, at least.  And I know so many people who haven't pursued their dreams--and who have given up so much more than I ever did--because things like family, faith, health, or financial stability are more important (or urgent).

There's gotta be a way to navigate Facebook with pure motives and with the purpose of blessing others, but I must confess that I haven't figured it all out.  May I continue to grow in sensitivity and mindfulness as I connect with others through social media, and may others show me grace, even if I come across the wrong way!