Social media is what life is now. We like, retweet, double-tap, follow, & poke all day everyday. [Well, I hope we aren’t still poking! That was definitely the creepiest thing on Facebook!] I have quite a few accounts on different platforms and I am a pretty avid user. I use Facebook to keep in contact with distant friends and family like most users. My Instagram is where I get to be ‘artsy’ and ‘creative’ and my Snapchat is for my silly videos that I can’t wait to disappear. However, with the number of followers everyone is striving to have, at some point we have to ask ourselves, how much social media is too much?
I definitely have my favorite Insta accounts that I check on a daily. Instagram beauty gurus and make up artists that I check for tips and looks daily. The account where I get all my juicy celebrity gossip and pop-culture news. My ‘healthy grams’ where I get diet and workout information from. The clapback accounts that give me life, and those ‘dream’ accounts that serve as ‘inspiration.’ That was all good until I found myself consumed in checking my social media all the time. I would wake up, check my feed while brushing my teeth, in traffic, walking from the parking lot, on break, on lunch, and the list goes on. I had become obsessed with my feeds on Facebook, Instagram, SnapChat & Twitter. This became unhealthy. [Not to mention FB news article arguing! That is a real thing and I am guilty of it.]
Not only was it unhealthy because of the amount of time I was wasting, but because I was getting depressed by everything I was liking and retweeting.
‘Omg, look at her body, I wish I could just look like that for 5 minutes.’
‘Wow, look at her new car, if only I could afford that.’
‘Her butt isn’t even real, why do people obsess over her?’
This was not good. My self esteem started plummeting, and I started trying to spend money to look like these people. Styling my headscarf like the 50 million perfect ‘Hijab’ blogging stylists on Instagram! [BTW, it never turns out like how they say it will in the tutorial!!] Spending hours and $$$ on makeup I didn’t need, so I could look like like every make-up artist on the gram. Trying to live above my means to keep up with the Jones that earn $10,000,000 posting videos on Youtube. These are all unhealthy goals.
Ask yourself, if the person you are following on social media makes you feel less than in anyway. If the answer is yes, then you need to click “UNFOLLOW!” Right AWAY! You should never feel like you need to be anything else than who you are! There is nothing wrong with inspiration. The feeling you get from someone’s post that makes you believe the sky is no longer the limit. That is inspiration. Insta-ration is the feeling that you get when you become green with envy because you are lacking.
We have to do better in understanding the difference and understanding our own value. Never be afraid to unfollow or unfriend someone that makes you feel less that what you are worth. You deserve it!
P.S. Don’t check your feed and drive!
Something I Bought:
Black Radiance Eyeliner – This is absolute perfection for a fraction of the price. Available at Wal-Mart, it has become my go-to everyday eyeliner for work. It lasts all day and doesn’t smear! It is blacker than my soul and it dries quickly. If you are looking for an affordable alternative to your $15+ eyeliner, this is your girl. Try it, you won’t be disappointed!
Catch this Weekend:
The Last OG – Tracy Morgan and Tiffany Haddish are HILARIOUS! This show that airs on TBS is the funniest show I have watched in a while! The only downside — It is extremely commercial heavy so I recommend recording so you can fast forward, because honestly, ain’t nobody got time for that!
Soul Searching:
Childish Gambino – This is America [So much beautiful imagery & symbolism]
My Habit: Reading anything from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie | Currently reading Dear Ijeawele, or A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions
To All My Muslim Followers – RAMADAN MUBARAK
To All My Followers – Bonne Nuit
Inside the Hijab 