Post by Audio the obscure on Nov 11, 2018 21:01:12 GMT -5
If anyone on here uses Facebook, do you ever feel as if you can't post things other than more positive type posts? I'm probably not being very clear. But anyway, I joined around 2009 I think. And it's been my experience that unless I'm making positive type posts (like if I accomplished something), I don't seem to be well received in there - and these are people I know - have met - in real life! It's very frustrating feeling as if I can't be myself on there and talk about when I'm stressed out or depressed or other problems I'm having. One person even told me (this was a few years ago around 2012) that he wouldn't pray for me unless my posts reflected less negativity. Had a bit of a mini health scare at the time (just temporary, but it worried me and so I had emailed him asking for prayers, and that's when he said that he wasn't going to pray for me unless I showed the evidence he was looking for in my posts). Since then I made the attempt to rarely post anything negative, but more positive, but yet I still feel as if my posts are not good enough and that people who I've known for years no longer care about me.
^I know I'm probably sounding vague, so ask me whatever you want if you reply and I'll try to make it clearer.
I know there are studies regarding this sort of thing so I'm going to check, and see if I can link something below.
thoughtcatalog.com/elysejackson/2017/01/read-this-if-you-feel-like-social-media-is-making-you-depressed/
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/progress-not-perfection/201109/social-media-makes-me-feel-bad-about-myself
The second link mentioned about "faking cheerfulness" which hit like a nail on the head with me - That's how I feel: like I have to post i.e. positivity that I don't always feel. I've been making less and less posts on there over time because it's just not me. Sometimes, though, there are others on there that make the less positive posts, and they are bombarded with comments - well wishes and so on. And I'm thinking why is it ok for them to post these while it seems to me that I'm expected by those in my friends list to say positive things all the time? At least that's how I feel based on that person's comment to me that I cited earlier (about his saying he wasn't going to pray for me anymore unless my posts were reflecting more positivity).
It's difficult even in here to make this post. I'm also nervous that if I make a post on facebook about feeling depressed or anxious or stressed that some will unfriend me. A person who unfriended me years ago has recently (to my pleasant surprise) made me a friend request which I was only too happy to click "confirm". I feel like I should just not even go in there if I can't make a positive post lest I "rock the boat" and cause the person to unfriend me again. (This friend is not the same as the earlier one who refused to pray for me a few years ago).
It's as if I'm expected to be perfect over there - or at least, that's the impression I feel.
Sorry again if this is unclear. If you have any thoughts, please reply if you have time. Thanks.
^I know I'm probably sounding vague, so ask me whatever you want if you reply and I'll try to make it clearer.
I know there are studies regarding this sort of thing so I'm going to check, and see if I can link something below.
thoughtcatalog.com/elysejackson/2017/01/read-this-if-you-feel-like-social-media-is-making-you-depressed/
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/progress-not-perfection/201109/social-media-makes-me-feel-bad-about-myself
The second link mentioned about "faking cheerfulness" which hit like a nail on the head with me - That's how I feel: like I have to post i.e. positivity that I don't always feel. I've been making less and less posts on there over time because it's just not me. Sometimes, though, there are others on there that make the less positive posts, and they are bombarded with comments - well wishes and so on. And I'm thinking why is it ok for them to post these while it seems to me that I'm expected by those in my friends list to say positive things all the time? At least that's how I feel based on that person's comment to me that I cited earlier (about his saying he wasn't going to pray for me anymore unless my posts were reflecting more positivity).
It's difficult even in here to make this post. I'm also nervous that if I make a post on facebook about feeling depressed or anxious or stressed that some will unfriend me. A person who unfriended me years ago has recently (to my pleasant surprise) made me a friend request which I was only too happy to click "confirm". I feel like I should just not even go in there if I can't make a positive post lest I "rock the boat" and cause the person to unfriend me again. (This friend is not the same as the earlier one who refused to pray for me a few years ago).
It's as if I'm expected to be perfect over there - or at least, that's the impression I feel.
Sorry again if this is unclear. If you have any thoughts, please reply if you have time. Thanks.