You read that right. Don’t do it. Just don’t.
Lately, I have found my dislike for social media to grow stronger by the day. It’s not what you think though. You see, I love me some good ol’ social media. I love to keep my family and friends up to date on all the crazy shenanigans my boys are up to. I love to connect with other mammas and help them through parenting ups and downs. I love the incredible tool it was in building my business. But you see the thing I’m liking less and less about social media is the people. The people that use it as a tool to tear down other people.
I’ve never been a fan of the sites that devote all of their time to taking photos of people, photos that most would consider embarrassing, and use it as a reason to wake up every day and go to work. It’s just me. And I don’t like it. So I stay away from it. Sadly though, I’ve seen it so much in my newsfeed lately.
Naturally I like to stick up and defend the weak or the vulnerable … maybe this is what is driving this post? I’m not really sure why I feel the need to speak my mind about this but I’ve seen way too many innocent people being filmed in gyms, photos of them grocery shopping, walking to their cars, breastfeeding, and I’m beyond sick of it. So here it goes….
First. Who are you to whip that phone of yours out and take a photo of a complete stranger and use it to post on your own page for everyone to chime in on? What gives you that right? Nothing. Nobody. You have absolutely nothing to justify doing such a petty thing to get yourself a chuckle with all of your friends. I just don’t get it.
Second. It is beyond violating. In all honesty, it’s like a modern day Peeping Tom. For those that feel the need to disagree with that statement, I get it. They are in public, they shouldn’t dress like that, feed your baby at home … blah blah blah. They are still human. How they look or what they chose to wear that day does not take that away. It does not strip them of any feeling or the heart they were born with … just like you and I.
And lastly. Here’s a challenge for you. You know, since we are all human. I’d like you to find the most vulnerable spot in your heart. A part of yourself you just don’t love – your temper, your shyness, your one true insecurity. Now take a picture of it. And post it for total strangers to chime in on. No way in hell, right? I thought so.
We live in a world where we have to second guess everything we do just incase someone decides to video it or take a picture of it. A world that we have to live our lives worrying about who’s going to be offended by what we wear or what workout we choose to do that day because God forbid, they don’t like it and it might just go viral without consent.
Consent. Pretty strong word, right? It’s key. It’s a word that we should not take lightly in this social media-driven world we live in. Why don’t we all think before we post? Think before we snap. Let’s deem a new social media “Golden Rule” if you will: ask before you post. And if it’s something you would never walk up to a stranger and ask permission to post, then just forget about it.
