Self Improvement

3 Kinds of Digital Guilt to Let Go Of

posted on October 8, 2018 | by Sanhita Mukherjee

3 Kinds of Digital Guilt to Let Go Of

Be it indulging in our favorite treat, saying no to someone, or putting ourselves first in any situation – we are conditioned to feel guilty in a whole lot of scenarios! And now, with many of us spending a good part of our day online, this guilt has seeped into our digital lives, too.

While we are slowly learning how to break out of the guilt cycle in real-life situations, a quick scroll through your social media accounts will still show you a lot of unnecessary trolling and shaming of people’s digital behaviors. If you have faced such bullying yourself or have witnessed it happening to others online, it’s time to call it out and put a stop to it.

Here are 3 common digital behaviors people feel guilty about – but really have no reason to.

Posting too much on social media

It seems like every time I log in to Facebook, I see yet another post on how social media is ruining meaningful relationships. Or snarky memes proclaiming that “It’s possible to do something in your life without posting about it”.

Of course, it is important to be in the moment. And to enjoy your friends’ company without worrying about how many views your Story has received. But if you are maintaining that balance and still finding time to post about things that are important to you, then don’t let anybody guilt you for that. There is no one right way to use social media, after all. Those who make scathing remarks about airport check-ins, Valentine’s Day posts or other such harmless updates, are just engaging in a form of digital bullying.

Besides, if someone is logging into Instagram, seeing your updates, and then taking the time to post a snarky comment about you spending too much time on social media – they clearly do not see the irony of the situation! Gently point it out to them and then do your thing anyway.

Taking too many selfies

Everyone knows the crippling effects of body image issues and understands why it’s important to have a healthy appreciation of one’s own body. Despite this, you’d be hard pressed to find a form of self-expression more despised than the selfie!

From not being taken seriously to outright being called narcissistic, anyone who posts too many selfies have been shamed in some way or the other. It seems like on paper, people are on board with someone liking the way they look. But put it into practice, and suddenly it’s a social no-no.

Think it’s time to call it out? Go ahead, and post that good-hair-day selfie when you want to. If you encounter negative comments, just remind people that there are much more important things to get offended about. Especially more than something so harmless as someone else’s photos.

Not living your best life

This is a big one! When you are scrolling through endless photos of perfectly plated meals, exotic locations your friends are traveling to, or job promotions and engagement announcements, it is easy to start feeling bad about the evening you just spent binge-watching Netflix while scooping out Nutella straight from the jar. Before you head down the ‘What-am-I-doing-with-my-life?’ spiral, remember this one thing. Everybody has some parts of their life all sorted, but nobody has everything figured out.

That friend who goes for a 5 am run every morning (and enjoys it!) may be having a tough time at work. That co-worker with the perfect wardrobe could be dealing with a not-so-perfect health situation. That old classmate who’s killing it at work may be insecure about her relationship status.

Likewise, there are certain parts of your life that you take for granted, that others may be envious about. Going for brunches or a quick post-work drink may not be a big deal to you, but your friend who is a new mom may think you are lucky to have the time to enjoy these things. So try to let go of the notion of what your life ‘should’ look like. Enjoy the things that make you happy! Yes, even that Nutella and Netflix marathon.

How do you deal with digital guilt? Do you suffer from any of these?