Authencity and Oversharing in this Social Media Age

Back when I was in Manila, I grew up in a time when Social Media was still in its early stages. Now, I get to experience how Social Media evolved and what it is now. I have practically seen the evolution of Social Media and have been a major consumer of it. In Asia, especially in the Philippines, Social Media and consuming content have been on a roll. Being the generation who get to see the beginnings of these social media sites, we didn’t care about anything as we pour our hearts and souls into social media.

Now that Social Media is all the rage right now, I am wondering how social media is now slowly defining our lives. I am not saying everybody, but the younger generation in particular. They are growing up in the advanced digital age.

I somehow got lost in all these developments. I wanted to share my experiences to help others, yet I am a bit hesitant to share my whole life with the public. I was silently observing, planning, and researching how I can dip my toes back in Social Media while major events in my life were unfolding. But it was too much for me physically, emotionally, and mentally. Depression dawned on me as the social pressure and numbers on social media started to bother me. With the added responsibilities in my life, it seems like I cannot keep up anymore.

Influencer Era rises in response to the developments in Social Media, with many people sharing a piece of themselves on social media. People with unique experiences and people that you can strongly relate to. In my head, I should have pushed further in my journey, so I could have been an influencer just like them. But I know that the pressure can break me, so I shifted my perspective.

 

As I enter Motherhood, I have had a different shift in perspective. Should I share my life with the world, including my son? When my son grows up, will he look back in disgust as he sees his presence on social media even before he knew how to give consent? Those were my worries as we were planning to pack up our life and migrate to a different country.

Immigrating to a faraway country, I realize that one way for our families from the Philippines to connect with us is through social media. They are my main audience so I need to be as authentic as I can. My family and friends will hold me accountable for everything I post online. I was scared to be vulnerable online yet I know that my personality will want to share everything with them.

 

There is an ongoing debate in my head about oversharing and authenticity in social media. Some part of me argues that oversharing can be harmful, as it can put my privacy at risk and potentially lead to negative consequences. The other part argues that it is a natural part of social media and that people like me should be free to share as much or as little as they want.

On the other hand, authenticity is generally seen as a positive quality in social media. Being genuine to oneself can help build stronger connections with my audience and increase trust. However, the pressure to be authentic on social media can be overwhelming, and I may feel pressure to present a highly polished and filtered version of myself.

Ultimately, I am aware that it’s important to strike a balance between oversharing and authenticity on social media. It’s okay to share aspects of my life, but it’s also important to be mindful of what I am sharing and with who can see my content. It’s also important to be genuine to myself but to recognize that social media is a platform for self-expression and that it’s okay to present a curated version of myself. I can share what I am only comfortable sharing with the world. The world has so many problems that I was hoping my content will somewhat relate to someone struggling and help them, one way or another.