05/11/2016
Authenticity noun
1.
the quality of being authentic; genuineness.
Such a simple thing and yet very rarely seen.
Do we live an authentic life? I am going to say a lot of us don't.
My wife was watching Netflix and a series about the future and social media and how to live life which included, leasing a house, eating, getting work, making friends, finding a partner you had to have a certain status on social media around a 4.8/5. So these characters life's were spent pursing the 4.8 by making their life as interesting and disingenuous as possible.
The series disturbed me as I realised that this wasn't far off how we are today.
How we get a kick out of the amount of likes and followers we have and how we value recognition of others.
Better still if we know someone or get attention from one social media power house it can make our day, we probably will screen shot the moment. But are we selling our souls and losing the thing that makes us who we are?
We love the buffed guy, the slim girl, the successful entrepreneur, the beautiful people, the flashy ones and the glamorous traveller but we don't see large social media followings of everyday Joe and Jane who may be the only authentic thing on social media.
Stranger still some of the most interesting people I have met and know refuse to go on social media as it isn't authentic and they feel it is a train wreck.
Why are we on social media? Do we really show our true self? Or do we only put up the good things or things we think might get a like or push our social status?
Some social media heavy weights are making a big impact and they represent as close to authentic life as they can and the take up on that has been mind blowing. I think we are craving truth, warts, wrinkles, bloat, messy hair and all.
I think we need to start being kind and good.
I am going to try and make my account as authentic as I can.
I think that the story line feature on Instagram actually makes me see my favourite Instagramers as human as it's hard to exclude real life as one second in time can, like a photo.
Happy Saturday, stay authentic.