Why Social Media “Friends” are Totally OK!

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Why social media friends are ok graphicI’ve been thinking a lot about friends lately… As you grow older and lives change, your friendships change. I have to admit, swallowing those changes used to be really tough for me. I got engaged first, married first, had a baby first, started my own business first, and with all of those glorious firsts, some of my friends came with me on my amazing journey and, well, some did not. It used to bother me… a lot. It upset me to think that my “friends” didn’t realize how important their genuine support was.

Jump to social media. I’m sure you have people in your life who talk trash about Facebook. Many times these same folks are Facebook quitters (you know, those who deactivate their profile at least four times a year due to some overly dramatic occurrence), or those who like to shun the relationships made on Facebook. Personally, my business requires me to be online. I have always lived my personal life really honestly (with boundaries) on social media, so the transition of incorporating my business was really natural. My business is my personal life and my personal life is my business. Being a Stylist, Blogger and Designer sort of requires a look into your “real life” online because people want to know that you live what you preach. I totally get it and geek out on the people online I love to follow!

Jump back to the point of this post. With all of my recent reflection, I started gravitating toward my “social media friends.” There are so many amazing people from all over the world that I have been able to connect with who genuinely support me! I haven’t met these people. I’ve never had a conversation with them. I only know what they put out on their respective social media sites. Yet somehow all of these elements create this beautiful, positive relationship that is virtually maintenance free! We have a mutual respect for each other and together we grow. We support each other, we commend each other, we lift each other up, we laugh, we cry, we feel, we relate, we envy, we hope, we pray and together we provide the support, all via social media for one another. These social media friends will never replace the friendships made on a more personal and physically present level, but they have their own place in my life and my heart. Join me in embracing the people who support you on social media and realize these friendships are OK – no matter what the social media haters in your life say!

I truly believe a lot of what makes these relationships thrive is the mutual respect and unspoken code that social media requires. I hold myself to specific standards on social media that are probably more strict than my personal friendships. I know, it sounds kind of backwards… shouldn’t you be holding your personal friendships closer than your social media friendships? Well yes, of course, and I do! There is one main element that must be considered with social media friendships… baggage! If you engage in a respectful manner and do not buy into any negativity, your social media relationships don’t have baggage. They can truly be all rainbows and butterflies. And while my social media friends won’t be invited to my 10 year vow renewal (my personal friends, those with baggage, will be), I’m sure they will be commenting their buns off on all of the festivity posts!

In conclusion, I feel like a good balance between both sets of friends has enabled me to enjoy all of these great people and their lives that I would never have had the opportunity to meet. If you share my same philosophy, let’s be friends! Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.