the desire to document our lives is nothing new, but where does the need to publish it come from ? why is acknowledgement and the approval of strangers so important these days ? our personal moments and memories don’t have to be shared with the rest of digital-humanity, so why do we ?
social media can make life look perfect and flawless. most people present a socially desirable, positive self-view to others, posting their best moments, perfectly posed and filtered. but let’s be honest, life isn’t always like that. social timelines create the illusion of a social connection that is not necessarily accurate. until the 90s, our identities were determined by what we did in the real world, but using the virtual world to define our real-world personalities has resulted in an illusory reality
we may have hundreds or thousands (or in some cases, millions) of followers on social platforms, but how many of those connections are truly meaningful ? we send and receive life updates with people we have never met or likely have nothing in common with, and although it feels like we are part of a larger online community, this can mask the fact that we may not have close, personal relationships in real life. ironically, social media has made us less social, so have we strayed from its intended use ?
instead of simply connecting us to post news updates and to share life’s joys with friends and family, social media has evolved into a quest for social validation, where our individual worth is gauged by the number of “thumbs up” under our pictures and posts. don’t get me wrong, validation is great (who doesn’t like to receive a compliment or to hear that they’ve done something well), but when it is given too much importance or approval from others is relied upon, in order to feel happiness then it can have negative consequences, emotionally
no doubt, social media is a fantastic tool. it has connected the entire world and has opened doors and possibilities that were unimaginable just two decades ago. however, in the pursuit to build networks and gather as many connections as possible, we’re in danger of forgetting that the best way to build lasting and healthy relationships is by actually spending time with people in real life
time spent building a rewind timeline, means time away from doom-scrolling through social media’s adverts, pop ups, bots, trolls, negativity, nastiness and other nonsense, and more time remembering and documenting the places you’ve been and all the amazing things you’ve seen and done, with the people you love
from aesthetically-perfect posts to candid, mundane moments, our lives are a tapestry of experiences waiting to be woven into something extraordinary. rewind allows us to delve deeper, to explore beyond the shiny surface and capture the intricate details that define who we are
remember, the best stories are the ones we live, not just the ones we post !