Social media and double standard

We must have grown up around relatives or neighbors who have really big mouths but never practice a single thing they preach. Guess what now we cannot point out such people any more. Almost all of us have become such beings. Even I am one of them! Trust me there must be 30-40% posts that I have shared on social media that I shared just because they were feel good and good to read or they were presented well and not because I really believed it. Yet often we judge people according to what they are sharing on their Facebook, Twitter or Instagram profiles.

Is it all for your Instagram?

But this small case study takes a bigger form when we look at broader issues which really requires people to be genuine and honest. Remember the day section 377 ( in India) was removed from our constitution? Well so many rainbows all over social media. Well, some people are totally unaware about what it even means; I am excusing them- few years ago even I was unaware of lot of things and doing many things just because others were also doing it. But I know there are people who are homophobes but putting up rainbows up on their display pictures because they also want to be part of the “cool crowd” and make most of it ( for attracting/ screwing men or women).

Then comes feminism. Some women share real feminist content out there. And next moment they judge a woman for the clothes she wears to work or even say things like “do you know she makes her husband cook for her?”. I see so much of double standards. I understand we cannot keep up our morals up all the time. We do end up having some double standards but the “nice souls” tend to realize where they are going wrong but the rest are simply going by trend using social media as a way to brand themselves just to attract a certain lot of people while being the same old dustbins inside.

We smile and take pictures with strangers and next moment we don’t care who’s even standing next to us.

It is scary because we often network using social media for work, friendships or even relationships. People who cannot be fair and have such layers inside are scary. I am a feminist and I have friends from the LGBT community- I feel extremely sensitive. These two are just examples. There are millions of other examples , smaller ones though the impact is as much. I see guys sharing ad videos which promote awareness regarding old-age care for parents and I so damn know the guy is never coming home to take care of his old parents. Then there are these women posting videos which fight for rights of married women- right to paternal home or right to keep her parents in her home; but then they are the ones who thoroughly judge married women who are living life in their own terms.

Oh how can we forget Linkedin. All the nice things these professionals post… ah! And you feel you are one click away from your dream boss and dream job. Happened with me. I came across a fine gentleman who interviewed me. He had viewed my Linkedin profile and I also checked out his. He seemed to be a great person who supports women’s rights and is very progressive. He even branded himself as a ‘Dad’ on his Linkedin profile to show the sort of family man he is. And then when I started working with him I realized he was looking for an affair! See the impact one false branding can have on your life. We start doubting all nice profiles we come across in future due to one ‘you know what’.

My point is simple- I don’t care what you’re doing in your personal life but brand yourself the way you are. Creating a social illusion is harmful for everyone! End of the story. Thank you!