social media depression, comparison, attention-seeking and distractions during this holiday season

the internet is a beautiful place. it is beautiful because it gives us a connection to things, information, and people we may have never been able to access. ⁣

⁣

accessibility is so important and there are so many blessings the internet has created during its very young existence. ⁣

⁣

as things get older, they get more complex and the internet is no exception. anytime something has the potential to make our lives better, it also has the opposite energy.⁣

⁣

we have to be honest about the internet and the effects it can have on our day to day lives. we live in a time where we are able to peek into people's intimate lives via social media BUT we only get to see what they show us. this leaves a lot of room for comparison and feelings of inadequacy. ⁣

⁣

no one is always happy. we are complex emotional beings and we all deal with problems and habits and behaviors that may not be aligned with our highest truth. we are always learning, changing and adapting to life and what it throws our way. ⁣

⁣

there are ups and there are downs. ⁣

⁣

life is cyclical. there is no straight path, most times we have to make a few loops only to learn the lessons we missed beforehand and ... this is normal. ⁣

⁣

but if we aren’t careful we can begin to think that the very curated lives we see on social media are reality. most of the times people post on social media when they are needing attention and are not in the state of mind of whichever image they are projecting. ⁣

⁣

attention is a real need and we all have it. with the internet being so accessible, it is easy to abuse this need. with winter and the holidays, it can feel like we need more of it if we aren’t being conscious of what we are consuming.⁣

⁣

during the holiday season, there are so many picture-perfect images floating around the web. it can feel like everyone is having an amazing time and everyone’s life is so good on the outside. ⁣

⁣

sure, some people may have amazing lives and they may just want to share it with you but most people are really trying to make up for feelings of sadness and/or depression and they use social media to get their hit of dopamine.⁣

⁣

it all makes sense. we do after all live in a world where emotions are swept under the rug and not knowing or admitting that you have feelings of inadequacy are considered worse than death. ⁣

⁣

as we are closing up this decade, there is a lot of emotions coming up. there is a lot of realizations of karmic patterns and toxic behaviors. there is a lot of pain. and the only way to move this pain is to sit with it. ⁣

⁣

it has never been more crucial to hold ourselves accountable and to stop the scroll. there is so much coming up for all of us that we can desperately want to escape, especially right now. but escaping is only going to prolong the process that you will eventually have to face.

⁣

i have noticed that there is a lot more pretending and attention-seeking during this time of the year. it has a lot to do with the resistance that comes up when the truth isn’t so comfortable. shit is being exposed and it is all so good. ⁣

⁣

i want to leave you with a tip. there are so many apps that help you manage the time you spend online, specifically on social media platforms. use them! they are so helpful. i definitely set up a timer on my Instagram that tells me after i have spent 30 minutes on the app and that is all i allow for the day. another helpful tip that i have used when i find myself mindlessly scrolling is deleting the app altogether. this keeps us mindful because in order to go on, we have to redownload the app and unless you want to post something you won't do it.

sending you lots of love and warmth during this very intense and unusual time as we close out a decade and move into a new era. xx!

#getoutthetrap