The Double Edged Sword of Social Media.

Yesterday morning I read a very insightful and thoughtful blog post. Ironically, it was one of those things that just popped up in my news feed on good ol' Facebook. The article was basically about how we can be fake in our online social activities and "clean up" and present only what we want others to hear and see, and we make our lives look so glamorous and act like we have it all together.

Now, don't get me wrong, I have enjoyed and think social networking can be very helpful and encouraging. I have found Facebook to be a lifeline to keep in touch with people when I was in Germany. Instagram is a fun, artistic way to document days through pictures. Pinterest has inspired many brilliant ideas and began the flow of untold amounts of creative juices. There's nothing wrong with using these things in and of themselves. In moderation.  

Here's the slippery slope that these can take you down though: lack of contentment and an envious heart. The problem with Pinterest and similar sights is that it can cause you to lust after the body, clothes, family, house, gadgets, traveling experiences and life that you wish you had. It can breed discontentment quickly if you're not carefully guarding your heart. The problem with sights like Facebook and Instagram is that people post what they want you to see. Seriously how many people post something that doesn't make them or their loved ones look good? Don't get me wrong I'm all for positive, upbeat posts, and I want to know what's going on in your life. But here's the problem I've found: by trying to keep posts positive and not venting to the world about frustrations or bad days, I think people might've become less real. And that can create envy. 

Think about it: Cute kid moments and pictures. Engagements and wedding pictures. Traveling adventures. Encouraging quotes or Bible verses. I don't know about you, but these are the kinds of things that fill up my news feed. But  life is balanced, and positive isn't always the full story. That adorable baby? Yeah they're currently in meltdown mode even mama doesn't know how to deal with. That happy couple? They are genuinely happy, but that doesn't change the fact that they're struggling through some tough issues right now. Those pictures your friend posted of their adventure overseas? They're homesick like mad. The friend posting the insightful quote and encouraging verse is sharing that because it relates to a hurt they're having to take to The Lord repeatedly through  out their day. 

I totally get that not everyone included in your social networks need to know all the gross details of your life. I get that you don't want to post an unflattering picture as your profile picture. I also get that you may not feel like venting your frustrations to everyone and thank you for that, because that's kind of a pet peeve of mine. 

But can we all just take a step back and realize that for every hurt or frustration you have in your life, all your friends must have at least one themselves? And more importantly, can we also maybe start spending more time with the real people instead of the virtual ones? Because I promise you'll find them just as messed up as you are. And being bombarded with the I'm-not-going-to-complain and that's-not-everyone's-business version of people isn't helping our struggle with contentment. And we all do struggle with contentment. But when you see people for all their faults and glories, you see that you're not as bad off as you thought you were. And that's pretty refreshing.