Sunday, October 11, 2015

Putting things in Perspective: How Social Networking Can Make You Feel Unloved

     Sometimes the things we struggle with are not that huge, they are actually rather small but, they are still struggles to us and they may not make life difficult but they do make for difficult moments in life. One said struggle for me is feeling unloved and alone. Yes I know that I am loved, truly I do but sometimes I feel like I am not. But the only time I really feel that way is when I am on Facebook.

     So you wonder why I would say this well, there are many times I log on to Facebook, to my own wall, hoping to see a lot of likes and comments on the things I post. I am disappointed however to find that there are very few likes or comments on the things I post. When I see this I instantly feel like no one notices me and like no one cares. Is this silly, is it untrue? Well of course it is, but is it a real feeling? The answer is "yes"

     I go to other people's walls and notice a lot of comments and likes to what they post on Facebook which makes me feel even more unloved. I wonder why my friends have friends who care so much about them and what they have to say while mine don't give a whip about what I have to say and well, about me.

     To put it all in perspective though, and it is important to do because if you don't it can consume you and make you feel depression. I wonder if that is why so many young people, and older ones as well, are depressed and committing suicide. I wonder sometimes if people put too much emphasis on social networking and it's meaning and worth. I know if I let myself, and did not put it all in perspective, I might be the same way. I might get depressed and let that depression consume me.

     Back to putting it in perspective, something I did this morning as I looked at Facebook feeling invisible and alone... I thought hard about it and realize that many people most likely are just busy living life in their real world. Many of them might be too busy to like what I post on Facebook or to keep in touch with me online. I know that I have been busy lately and not been much of a social networking friend.

     Another thought is that many of my posts might not show up on each of my friends walls. Facebook is strange and things move around fast. If everyone else is like me, they don't go to each friends wall to see what is happening, they just don't have time.

     So putting it all into perspective I realize that it is important to know that Facebook is online networking, it cannot take the place of actual friendships and that I am loved and I do have people in my life who love and care for me. I am not going to let a silent computer screen if you will, dictate my mood. Yes I have been guilty of doing that in the past. It is time to cherish the real relationships in life and to focus on them. I notice a difference in how I feel when my time on social networking is limited. I feel happier  and more satisfied with life.

     I hope those in this world who are depressed and sad will really stop to think and ask themselves if they are depressed about their real world or the social networking world. It is a difficult one, more difficult than the real one in my opinion. It can make you feel unwanted and unloved when there are many who love you in the real world. Keeping it all in perspective will prevent social networking from determining your worth and making you feel unloved.