How to Stop Social Comparison (Bring Value to Your Newsfeed)

 
Bonjour! You good? I hope so. Thank you for being here for another issue of my bi-monthly letter. I share perspectives on boldness, courage and living a ridiculously amazing life. 

Bonjour! You good? I hope so. Thank you for being here for another issue of my bi-monthly letter. I share perspectives on boldness, courage and living a ridiculously amazing life. 

Dear Bold Networker,

I had a talk with my 11-year old god-daughter. She is exquisite. She is hurting.

Images on social media are overtaking parts of her esteem.

“I don’t feel that good about myself,” she said. I asked her to be more specific. “I don’t look like them and I don’t have that many friends,” she flicked her index finger, dozens of photos quickly scrolled through the timeline.

Some of her contacts are classmates and others are across the world with beautiful smiles, fantastic dance moves and big, boastful personality. While her social media use is monitored, it doesn’t take long to evoke negative feelings.

The moment she expressed it, I realized the same thing about myself. I don’t look like them - the happy folks, the perfectly edited people. I don’t have as many friends/followers as some of the group photos suggest.

In one second, I, too, did a self-analysis. I compared myself to the wacky world in my cellphone. But I have tools to monitor the length of time I wallow in the drought of comparison, and I (usually) know how to combat those feelings. Most 11-year olds don’t. And to be perfectly honest, some times I tumble down the slippery slope of nonstop scrolling. Social comparison isn’t just for kids (us big kids do it too).

Technically speaking, getting social is costly:

  • “Social media has been described as more addictive than cigarettes and alcohol.” (Royal Society for Public Health, 2017)

  • “There could be many reasons why social media has been linked with increased anxiety and depressive symptoms, negative body image, sleep problems and cyberbullying, but increased social comparison is one of the most powerful.” (Royal Society for Public Health, 2017)

You are brave. You are bold. You are a networker- all risk takers are. You may need to promote your work on social media. I do too. Watch this video for tips on beefing up internal and external messages.

If you like this video, why not pass it on to a friend? https://youtu.be/gV74nUnGltA

You might also like this topic: How to Stop Second Guessing Yourself

Stay the course and remember who you are,

Raquel

Raquel Eatmon is a Be Bold Accomplice, Keynote Speaker and Author of Beyond Enough How to Lead with Your Whole Self. For over a decade she has produced the Woman of Power Leadership Conference for high potentials. She is challenging audiences to live and lead bolder lives through strategic risk taking rituals. Follow on Twitter, Instagram & LinkedIn 

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Raquel Eatmon