“The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.”
Let’s re-write that for 2012.
“Life is always more exciting on someone else’s Facebook profile, and always prettier on someone else’s Pinterest pin.”
More and more people are saying that Pinterest and Facebook make them feel inadequate. They just don’t measure up to the fluffy salted-caramel mocha-iced cupcakes and good news about little Timmy taking All-State in tiddlywinks. Pinterest leaves them pouting, and Facebook makes them feel like a loser.
Really it has nothing to do with what they can or can’t do. There’s no reason to pout and they’re not losers. Their perspective just needs an adjustment. So, let’s put Facebook, Pinterest and the rest of social media into perspective.
I’m a big fan of Pinterest. It’s entertaining. Am I ever going to spend 60 hours hand-making a Flokati Rug out of 51 free-cycled t-shirts? No. Not even if pigs start piloting jetliners. But I like the pretty picture of the hand-make Flokati Rug. I like reading about the person who made it. I’m happy for their accomplishment. Sometimes it’s even inspirational: “Hmm…If I save up some money maybe I could pay someone to hand-make a Flokati Rug out of 51 t-shirts from Walmart.” But I don’t feel inferior or any less of a person because I can’t make that rug.
I also enjoy Facebook. It’s fun to keep up with the goings-on of college roomies and their families. It’s nice to see what friends closer by are up to day-to-day. If you make Baked Alaska for dinner, I’ll wish you’d invited me over, but I don’t feel bad because I fed my family mac & cheese and hot dogs. My Facebook friends are just that, my friends. I’m joyful over their good news, not envious.
Here are a few tips to keep everything you see on Pinterest and Facebook in perspective:
1. You’re only seeing a small piece of that person’s life. Your friends are talking about themselves, and usually when we talk about ourselves we paint ourselves in a good light. We don’t show you the huge pile of dirty laundry next to the washer. For example, one day I posted this on Facebook:
While that appears to qualify me for Mother of the Year, I didn’t mention that I created the dish for a sponsored post, and was compensated for my work with more than just the admiration in my children’s eyes. I also shouted loudly at those children 30 minutes latter when they engaged in a sugar-fueled wrestling match over Buzz Lightyear. So, Mother of the Year? Not even if Hell, Michigan doesn’t freeze over in February.
Your perfect Facebook friend probably has lousy stuff going on in their life too. Instead of being envious, celebrate the good stuff with them.
2. Stop comparing yourself. You’re worth isn’t measured by what someone else does. It absolutely does not matter that you can’t crochet a set of dishes out of Target bags like a big time Pinterest rockstar. You do something well. What is it? Embrace that instead. Don’t know? Ask your friends and family, they’ll tell you.
3. Be realistic. If you manage to do a load of laundry and supervise homework between working, cooking dinner and wiping noses you’re doing pretty good. You can Photoshop funny Ryan Gosling memes when you retire.
Source: bit.ly via Genevieve on Pinterest
4. Hit the exit button. If you can’t scroll through Pinterest or eavesdrop on your friends via Facebook without feeling down, maybe you need to take a break. Try some deeper face-to-face conversation with one of your Facebook friends. If you really get depressed over everyone’s good news and crafty cleverness, maybe it’s time to close your account.
The secret to Facebook and Pinterest bliss is all about you’re perspective. You are who you are, they are who they are and all of us are alright.
I totally agree with this! I love keeping up with my friends on social media, but I try not to competitively compare myself to anyone, it’s so easy for that to become toxic.
Yes to the Facebook getting me down! It seems that a cruel algorythm has infected my feed and only gives me “OMG! I’m SO PERFECT! And my husband brought me FLOWERS after I RAN 50 MILES and then went to my kid’s CONFERENCES and they said my kid was the BEST ONE EVER IN THE HISTORY OF THE SCHOOL!’ updates on the day my kid gets sent to the principal’s office, my husband is a useless lump on the couch, and I never even got out of my Penguin jammie pants or put real shoes on.
Pinterest will never betray me though. I am clear minded and realistic about my crafting abilities. They do not exist; it is all just a fantasy land.
What’s wrong with wearing penguin jammies all day? And real shoes are overrated.
Pinterest inspires me. Facebook is a sickness most days. It’s like looking at a squirrel scamper in the road before it’s squished by a truck. Interesting, kind of revolting, but you cannot resist looking longer than you should.
OMG, I love your post, thanks for bringing up the fact that sometimes we do compare ourselves to others, and now that our lives are filled with social media “goodness,” it’s easier than ever to compare. Thanks so much for bringing that to light, I really like your blog.