How do you stay in touch with friends and family? 💬
Instagram is infamous for 'glimpses into' polished lives. We describe a perfectly plated meal as 'Instagram worthy.' So many of the influencers who claim to 'get real' on Instagram are admitting to the most minor of common human experiences ("I, too, do not wake up with perfect hair!) all too often followed by a product pitch ("but thanks to XYZ product I look like this!").
It doesn't have to be this way. Sure, there are a ton of people on Instagram aspiring to be brands, but forget about them. There are way more people to follow...like the people who have been in your life. Some of my old classmates are pretty polished on the 'gram, but most of them are sharing their actual lives, clutter and all.
It's a joy to see my friends kids and pets romping. To share in their excitement over a night out or a garden harvest. To roll my eyes a little bit at the cheesy in love posts, while also being thrilled to get to share in that moment with them.
Because let's be honest that for most of you, your life doesn't allow for hanging out and catching up. The high school friend who lives across town may as well be on a different continent or on the moon.
The real gold, the real opportunity to connect with the people you're losing touch with, is Instagram stories. That's where friends are sharing things they don't want archived, the moments that aren't polished at all. The moment of frustration over a bowl of food thrown on the floor, again. The annoyances shared at the end of a long day. The excitement over a gorgeous flower found while walking the dog. A friend of mine posts every time her husband leaves the paper towel holder empty! That's relatable content.
Instagram stories allows me to keep me in touch with friends I see once a year, if I'm lucky. Maybe we don't get to chat over lunch or even find time for a phone call, but I know what they did yesterday. That matters. It keeps us in each others lives on an intimate level and when I need someone to talk to, they know to reach out. And they do.
Moments of connection come from letting our guard down. When we share what's really going on in our lives, we invite others to see us and recognize what we're doing. To let us know that they do understand, after all.
PS. Are you sharing your care work experience on Instagram? Tag #facesofcare so we can find each other.