A Growing Trend. How Do You Feel?

 

For the past few months I've noticed a theme going on in the public realm of social media and it's one that I'm applauding from the sideline. Apparently people are starting to disappear from their blogs, channels, and social media in general, to go back to living a more private life. This is nothing new for me. I've deactivated my Facebook more times than I can count. 

But I'm seeing a trend now, among people I've followed for years, on Youtube and Instagram, that they too are feeling a need to pull back and make their lives a bit more private. Some are disappearing completely and others are pulling back the reins slowly, but either way, the goal being to quit sharing so much with complete strangers. And I get it. Sometimes I feel the same way (on a much smaller scale, of course). 

As I've read books and watched "Goodbye" videos from these people, it's left me asking the question of "why do we feel the need to connect with so many people that we don't know?"

Do you ever question that, as a blogger or a person on social media?

What is your motive? Your ambition? Your goal? 

I started blogging in 2008 as a way to connect with other homeschooling moms who were at home during the day. It was a great outlet and an important way of enriching our lives, as we did the hard task of educating our kids, while also being mom, wife, etc. We needed all the support we could get!

But then social media entered our world and blogging decreased and the world turned to faster, less complicated platforms to connect with others. And so the decline of blogging began and we all lived for the 2 sentences we could write multiple times a day and move on. 

Our attention spans decreased, our desire to be seen increased, and over time, social media became the humongous elephant in everyone's room. 

But now it seems that people, who once enjoyed being known, are realizing how much of their lives they've given up, just to make some money or connect with other people.  Has it been worth it? I'm sure that's one of the questions they've had to ask themselves over time.

You've heard that history repeats itself, and I think we've seen that over the past few years with the resurfacing of homesteading, growing backyard gardens, stocking pantries, living on less and new "trends" that are actually old standards. 

So I wonder if the new trend of social media life will be going in that direction as well. I wonder if we will start to see a lightbulb go off in younger people as they realize that being "famous" isn't all it's cracked up to be. 

As families disintegrate, privacy gets breached, and their lives are open fodder for criticism, will they begin to see the beauty of being "normal?" Of having a regular life of home and family, with no outside affirmation to cling to? 

I, for one, hope so.

As I watched a young mom say goodbye to her online platform this week, I felt sad for her because she started her channel as a way to make money and motivate other moms to enjoy being homemakers. But over the years, people began to demand things from her that she wasn't willing to give. Her privacy was breached and the public arena actually became a trap for her and her family. She felt an urgency to film constantly and I even noticed as a viewer, that her kid's smiles became less and less. I could sense a sadness or a weariness whenever I would see her kids on the videos and it was worrisome. She was being bullied on Youtube and had to move to a private platform to continue making videos for her "fans." But this week she shut it all down and announced that she was tired of sharing her life and I actually felt relieved for her. 

It occurred to me that our society's hunger for entertainment is the culprit. 

We want to be constantly entertained by others.

We are consumers and we continue to want more and more input and it's costing other's their lives and robbing us of living our own.  

I know I've written about this topic several times and will probably continue to wrestle with this issue. It's the old challenge of being part of society, verses doing your own thing. Sometimes it's hard to choose. 

What about you?

Have you noticed anyone disappearing from their platform lately? How did it make you feel?

I would love to know your opinion, as always. 

Until Next Time...

Blessings!