#SOCIALMEDIACHALLENGE
Social media outlets, like Instagram and Facebook, can be informative and helpful when connecting with family and friends, but they can also be toxic. There is good and bad to everything and one of worst things about social media is the need to feel perfect and accomplished. This desire to show the world we are “flawless” leads to disingenuous posts. We try to outdo our friends by bragging about our vacations, sharing the grade point average we got for the school year or showcasing a new outfit we just purchased. It becomes a competition of “who is better?” where the deciding factor is the amount of likes we get. This unspoken competitive game causes us to draw away from the things that really matter in life: family, friends, God and life purpose. That’s why I created the #SocialMediaChallenge. Can you abstain from using ALL social media outlets for 24 hours?
The challenge encourages individuals to step away from Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook and other social media outlets for 24 hours. During this time, participants are encouraged to use the newly found free time to help others. Examples might include reaching out to a friend or family member, baking/cooking for another, spending quality time with someone or completing a random act of kindness. The possibilities are endless! In the time they spent away from social media, each participant will realize just how much life has to offer and that affirmation doesn’t come from the amount of likes each picture receives. It comes from knowing you are doing good work with your time one earth.
Ironically the movement has a large social media presence. The hashtag is #SocialMediaChallenge. An Instagram account with posts that share positive feedback about the challenge is @the_social_media_challenge. Participants are encouraged to make before and after posts about their experience. A before “signing off” post that announces why they have chosen to step away from the iPhone or computer for 24 hours and an after post sharing what they learned from their experience. Ideally each post will carry the #SocialMediaChallenge hashtag.
The challenge is in no means an effort to shine a negative light on social media. Instead, it’s an attempt to bring attention to how much time we spend checking snap stories, liking Instagram pictures, and comparing ourselves to others. I have frequently been that girl who felt insecure because I didn’t get enough likes or comments on a particular picture. I understand that social media can make you feel unimportant. When focusing on the amount of followers we have or attention we receive online, our understanding of life in skewed. Even spending 24 hours away allows us to reevaluate our priorities and what really matters in life.