by Kat Galdo Diaz
Oh the thrill it gives,
with lots of views received!
the excitement it brings,
for another content out of something.
Such a joy to make others laugh,
Making it a habit, like any regular stuff.
Whatever i see, whenever it can be,
with just one click, everyone can see.
But then when someone critics;
suddenly i become frantic.
I’d say, “all i did was post”,
but forgot, lost of privacy is also imposed.
Have we ever considered that posting is a way of exposing our very self? That once posted, it "defines" us. Maybe we know that; that is why we choose to post the best and not our worst. We want others to see our happiness, our capacity, our achievements. We build another image by the way people perceive us through our posts.
But is it still for real ... or just for reels?
Jesus said, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of filth. (Matthew 23:27)
Like in this passage. It is quite a strong verse if you ask me. But how are we as social media users? Isn’t it as if we appear all beautiful on the outside and as if we are trying to project that all is well in our lives?
We tend to cover the truth and ignore it. We leave the reality behind and create another “reality” out of the things that would make us feel contented. But then again, are we really contented?
The Hype
The hype of doing reels is so rampant that we can practically use it as research material for anything: cooking, travel, employment matters, among others. We rely on it so much. So much so that what others share on their accounts, we push for that same thing to happen to us, without having to consider that reels are meant to display the shortest summary of a message without exposing the “behind the scenes” of those videos, and that each individual has a different circumstance.
Reels are basically engagement-designed, for our short attention span. We get hooked because they are not dragging or boring. Reels also challenge us to give meaningful videos despite the time limit.
Safety
But the danger is primarily safety. Safety not only on the technological aspect but also safety of our own selves: Do we still keep guard of our privacy, of our rights and of our true self?
It is easy to make others happy and we get energized every time we do. When people like or share our content, it gives a feeling of high; it makes us want to produce more content. But when we look at our very selves, it is actually tiring because we keep track of the likes, views and shares.
Our happiness then is manipulated by the numbers our content can produce. When actually, our lives do not depend on numbers!
Our lives depend on values and meaningfulness.
We will actually be uplifted more if we see ourselves genuinely making time for family, for helping those in need, or even visiting the sick. That is the most human and real source of happiness we can ever achieve.
Keeping it R.E.E.L. The author is a digital content creator and host of the show Lakbites on TV Maria. Photo: TV Maria Lakbites
Our posts usually tend to be self-centered. We tend to filter our posts to only those that beautify us and talk a lot about us or make people talk about us.
Our posts shouldn’t be just all that.
Keep it R.E.E.L.
You must see social media as as a tool given to us for a reason: to be an avenue of seeing the good, of hope, and of all things brighter and better.
“These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another; render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace.” (Zechariah 8:16)
So how then can we make our lives meaningful through our content? Actually, it is not wrong to post.
But hopefully, we keep it REEL: Relatable, Engaging, Emphatic, Life-giving.
Kat Galdo Diaz is a host and digital creator for TV Maria.
Watch her show Lakbites on TV Maria
also on Youtube @tvmariaphils
and on Facebook.com/tvmariaphils