Social media has had a tremendous influence on how we handle holidays. I have been reminded of this yet again the closer we have gotten to February 14th. I've seen posts about how amazing peoples boyfriends are, receiving gifts here and there, with the documentation to prove just how amazing the bouquet of flowers really were. I've seen posts about how people are also making sure to document the fact that they are single and "loving it" and how much they don't ned a man or woman because they love themselves just that much. I have even seen posts of people in relationships pointing out the fact for those not in relationships about how they shouldn't be complaining about being single because other holidays people don't have what they have. There have been posts about flowers and gifts received from parents, I've seen posts that we should be thankful for what we've got, who we've got and the list goes on and on.
The point of this is yes- some of us have this or that, some of us bring other things to the table. So why do we feel the need to document each and every one of these things on our brag wall? Why point out the fact for others that they are going to be spending the day alone? I'm pretty sure they know that already. If you know what it feels like to spend a holiday or birthday surrounding a not so happy time of your life, why would you want to call others out on this, and be the reminder? Same goes for being single. Are you really wanting the world to know that you will be spending the day loving everything about yourself? Do you really have to point out how much money you're saving by not buying a girlfriend a gift? Same goes for if you are in a relationship. Yes, we get it- you have THE BEST boyfriend a girl could ask for. You might actually be soul mates. But do you really think that everyone in cyberspace cares about the catering you received to your every need? Most of them probably don't.
We all deserve happiness, and that is 100% a fact. Instead of spending these emotional holidays letting everyone else know what we have and don't have on social media, we could be using our energy in other ways. We could actually take full advantage of these platforms to strengthen each other, instead of create jealousy. We could help, instead of remind. We could create instead of destroy. If you are someone who has a loved one- whether that is a mother, brother, significant other- take the time you get to spend with them and actually spend it with them. Next time try living in the moment instead of trying to take a picture of the moment. We will all be surprised by the depth of our lives if we actually take advantage of the living part and not the consuming, time wasting digital documentation of everything we do. All of us are guilty of this, and I know we will all continue to do so. The least we can do is be aware of others feelings and maybe just once decide to keep a memory for ourselves and not the world. Maybe then we will actually have stories to tell our kids someday that aren't already floating around on the cloud.