Social Media & Self-Concept

Recently I began wondering how much social media defines our worth and self-concept. This thought came about as I was looking at a friend's profile. He had been commenting on how successful he is in his job and the toys that he enjoys on the weekend. I remember looking at the friend's profile and instantly comparing myself to them. We're the same age. We're in the same field. Why am I not as successful as him? And on, and on, and on. Ugh! What a waste of energy. But even though I knew this to be a waste, I still couldn't help but use him as a measuring stick to my success.

Another way this came about was after having a conversation with a friend who had recently been "de-friended" by someone he doesn't like. He commented about how difficult it was for him to not feel rejected even though he didn't like this person and had no desire for a friendship. The deep wound of rejection had been hurt and his insecurities heightened.

So basically, I've just been wondering how much social media plays into how we define ourselves and whether or not social media adds to or detracts from our self-concept.

Thoughts About My Blog

I've been thinking lately about what the purpose of this blog is. When I started my private practice, I heard from other successful private practice clinicians that it's a good way to engage my clients as well as anybody who's interested in supporting my practice. While the idea of this was exciting, I soon learned that it's not my style. My first post was a reaction to a movie we watched and was easily written because it was a powerful movie. However, each time since that I've sat down to try and blog, I've gotten pretty frustrated. I've had some interesting topics that I want to talk about, but the thought of compiling them into coherent writing was overwhelming. I felt like I was back in school and had to research these topics and present the right information in order to keep people engaged. Not exactly what I want to spend my days doing!!

So, I've decided to take the pressure off myself. Instead of worrying about who's reading this and whether it's worth their time, I'm going to just post about the things I'm learning, the things I find interesting, and talk about various experiences I'm having. They may or may not be therapeutic in nature, but my hope is that they might be thought provoking to whoever reads them (if anyone actually does).

So, if you're reading this, I invite you to interact with me. If you read something that is particularly interesting or thought provoking, don't hesitate to comment on it. Don't worry about your comment sounding stupid or being over intellectual. There's no judgement from my end and screw anyone that's judging us!! I look forward to where these conversations may lead.