Social Media Overload
As most of you know, I have a 13 year old daughter. She is pretty amazing in all ways, and also a teenager in every other way. One thing she is really good at, like most other kids her age, is navigating social media. I was shocked and confused when I asked her to help me find a new shampoo and conditioner several weeks ago, and she quickly pulled up TikTok to do her research. Is TikTok the new google? Is Instagram a thing of the past? Don't even get me started on Facebook, that is now only apparently for geriatrics such as myself (hello 40 this weekend!).
When I started my own practice, everyone encouraged me to also create a business Insta. By everyone, I mean my husband and a few close friends. I created a Facebook page and linked it to an Insta, and tried to create content on a somewhat regular basis. Let me tell you, it was exhausting! Not only exhausting, it was stressful and gave me a sense of imposter syndrome. I would constantly wonder if what I was posting was going to be criticized by the infinite number of viewers out there, if I wasn't "smart" enough to share what I know (ridiculous), and if I looked "good enough" to be shared publicly. Looking back, how silly was I?
I recently had a really great conversation with a dear patient in regards to today's social media buzz. She made many great points, and it really changed my perspective on social media posting. I am very well aware that you can find answers to just about anything online. Dr. Google is a healthcare provider's nemesis, and Insta education is just as confusing. For every answer to do a kegel, there is an equal and opposite answer not to kegel. For every diastasis solution there is an exercise strictly forbidden for diastasis rehab. Not only that, there is a sense of privilege associated with many postpartum posts. Women search insta for how to feed their baby, what products are best, and if they are doing pretty much anything the right way...only to find that certain foods are not accessible where they live, the "best" products are too expensive, and formula is basically canned poison.
Why do we do this to ourselves? The postpartum period is stressful enough as it is, why do we allow ourselves to add to the anxiety by spending our late night feedings scrolling through social media? Social media can be a wonderful thing to spread a message or information, but it is also important to recognize for your own mental health when it is time to take a break. It's still a great idea to go right to the source, and ask an expert.
I will continue to share pieces of information here and there, but prefer to be a direct source of information for you and am always here for you!
- Jamie
jamie@physiocorellc.com
