Social media has a unique way of impacting our perceptions. The comparisons we create by looking at a photo, reading a post or, watching a video poses an interesting dichotomy. Comparisons are likelier to make us feel bad when we make the error of only comparing ourselves to paragons of certain traits.
Social comparisons serve as positive interactions if they are used to build strategies to improve the quality of your life. They can be used to improve an interaction, increase engagement, and provide positive reinforcement for an individual or a group of individuals.
The perception that another persons’ lifestyle is substantially better than yours is flawed. Social references are made as we make snap judgements based on small snippets of information. Positive does not sell as well as negativity and coincidently, those messages tend to trend higher in the feed. The immediate gratification received when attention is drawn to social media is indisputable. Therefore, if negative sells then some are drawn to increasing their social presence by posting negative messaging. The pendulum is swinging however, in the direction of high-impact, and compassionate leadership.
There are many social media thought-leaders that present informative content that teach, coach, and mentor skills that help you become the best version of yourself. It is relatively easy to assimilate to a person we hold in high regard. The pedestal emboldens us to model behaviors that we find suits an objective or goal. These thought-leaders are teaching lessons learned and gained through the process of failure. Many have stories like yours and speak to you on a more direct and personal level. They hit a core within you that inspires action.
We are all flawed in our own unique ways. We are more outwardly critical of our perceived flaws than we are to our unique qualities that other’s find inspiring. Most people are so concerned about recognizing their own flaws than they are at “seeing” your flaws. For instance, “some people are quick to report they are smarter than average, but somewhat humbler when asked to place themselves in a specific percentile or rate themselves on specific skills.”
Like many thought-leaders that post on social media, there is no immunity to negativity and social judgement. The aim is to totally subjugate the strategies of the messenger’s, which are rich in content and positivity, to our readers. The choice to absorb, deploy, and implement the ideas presented are completely at the discretion of the reader, listener, or viewer.
People generally engage in either upward or downward comparisons. In upward comparisons, we compare ourselves with those we believe are better than us in some way; in downward comparisons, we do the opposite.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/social-comparison-theory
Our messages are delivered in the spirit of serving others at a higher level. The frameworks are intentionally created to provide the tools, resources, and messaging that inspires action. Like many coaches’, the first recognition is the self-realization that we are all flawed. Perfection is never the goal as we work on the necessary skills to improve a single area of our lives. We do not want anyone to compare their progress, journey, and/or results with anyone else’s. Our message is simple; do not compare your results to someone else’s. Match their efforts and the results will come.
Like many of our posts we have five tasks that provide guidance to help during this journey. This simple approach is wrought with judgments and complete with its own flaws. Nonetheless, we support the simplification that affords one the choice to implement on your own schedule.
Five tasks so social media works for you.
- Find it.
- Read it.
- Soak up the positive.
- Own it.
- Share the knowledge you gained.