Face bragging and ranting opinions have taken social media by storm, not to mention false stories that pop up, like death of a celebrity; some news is real while other stories just aren’t. One must be careful when it comes to sharing such announcements, and if you find it hard to believe, go to www.snopes.com to validate the information given. I’ve had to do this several times this year, and it paid off. There were rumors that Johnny Depp and other celebrities had decided to move in to rural areas of nearby small towns; definitely false stories that were posted to Facebook. If you spot a story with a “Breaking News” title, know that it doesn’t necessarily mean it is true. Yes…it’s unfortunate but we can’t believe everything we read on social media sites. Hackers today must get some type of enjoyment out of this, for whatever deranged reason. Then there are people that will paint a perfect picture of their life on social media; leaving others feeling somewhat dismayed and depressed because their life doesn’t live up to what they see. I believe we are all guilty of this at some time in our life. I can remember feeling distraught over a holiday as I glanced at others whom seem to have it all, family gatherings with smiles on their faces, dressed well for romantic dinners with their mates, or maybe a huge bouget of flowers they always seem to get…”you know what I mean?” I think we’ve all experienced these kinds of feelings on Facebook. It isn’t too often you hear about all of the bad things that have happened through your daily life; you might lose some of your friends if you do, cause let’s face it…no one likes a ‘Debbie downer.’

Social media can be a place of refuge for some, having old acquaintances or friends to encourage you through tough times is a positive spin. It can help knowing that someone has a few kind words to share; we all can use that on occasion. Then there are the random photos posted. They aren’t always telling the whole story. An example being; you post a photo of your dinner table (as you are expecting guests), it has linens, a table piece and food items with perfect portions and garnish. What you don’t see is the mess in the kitchen, with possibly stacked dirty dishes and crap everywhere lying around, not to mention the stressed look on your face! (I’m chuckling now). Oh the beauty of photo tricks, if you catch my drift. Sometimes someone might randomly take a photo of you and post it on their site. Once you see it, your jaws drop in disbelief… “Why?” Because you can’t believe they posted it, you look terrible! The photo was real, it wasn’t edited. More times than not, I found that many people seem to photo shop their pictures, so they will look better than the original one that was taken.

Most of us like to present our happy faces on social media; I don’t believe I’ve ever seen someone crying or admitting their failures online, while sobbing through their day. We all want to be happy and loved by others; it’s a very ‘real’ emotion we experience, and Facebook draws us in. I know there are many that post their smiling-selfie pictures (myself included at times), but what we don’t see is the hidden pains behind the picture painted for others. Those pains are very ‘real’ as well. Growing up I was taught that a picture can tell a story. However, in most cases the social media site does not tell the whole story and what lies beneath (the photo) is the ‘real’ story, though it wasn’t made for public scrutiny. We are all human, needing to feel wanted… while leading a happier life with a bit of zest in it. Social media doesn’t always tell the truth, so know you are not alone my friends. Pictures can tell a thousand words, but perception is almost always different to those who study it. Keep it real, and occasionally take a step back, because in the real world we all have bad days…even if it doesn’t appear to be that way.

Make your week count.