You know you like it—and frankly, so do I—posting a photo of a life moment and then watching the likes and comments roll in. But in many cases, perhaps it’s better not to share but savor the moment.
Yes, I know. I’m writing to you on a social media platform, but I also want to say that you do not need to put every aspect of your life on social media. And I completely understand that wanting to do so can be incredibly tempting.
You want to share all the fun and memorable things happening in your life, whether you’re on an amazing vacation, your kid just lost a tooth, or you just ate the best burger of your life. We love to do this and view the posts of others. Receiving likes and comments makes us feel good and gives us a hit of dopamine.
But hear me out—maybe some things are best left unshared with the world and savored in our memories.
We didn’t need to validate these moments through the eyes of others; they were important to us, and we knew it, and that’s all that mattered.
I think about this more and more as my kids get older. Sure, I like to share special moments I’m proud of or a trip we just took, but when does it become too much? When does it get uncomfortable for the child, and should we be asking for our kid’s consent before sharing their photos and accomplishments
I’ve become increasingly self-aware of this as time goes on. I don’t feel the need to share every aspect of my and my kids’ lives online. Yes, there are things I like to post here and there, but there are many things that I want to keep private for our own memories. So that in 20 years, we can look back on them with fondness and say, “Oh, remember when we did this?”
