Recently, my absolute favourite blogger Jo at Living Mint Green asked her readers what they thought about social media authenticity after a “friend” said that Jo’s photos of her kissing her boyfriend were annoying and not authentic. This very rude comment made me mad and then I read the blog comments and was even angrier! People actually said that they too found her photos of her and boyfriend kissing or being PDA “annoying,” “staged,” and “not real.” All I could keep thinking was “who cares what these people think?”
Blogging has turned into an industry where we are expected to provide (free) interesting and valuable content on a regular basis to please the maximum amount of people. We manage multiple social media accounts that give our readers a glimpse into our lives and who we are. They originally follow us because they like what we have to say or share. But if we say or post one thing someone doesn’t like then they get to tell us so. I don’t know how I would react of someone told me what I should or should not be posting on my own stuff.
I started blogging six years ago to record my hikes and to look back on when I was stuck in the office all day and dream of being in the mountains. My blog has grown since then and provided some great opportunities. I am now doing collaborations, trying out products, attending cool events and it’s awesome. I’ve made some great blogger friends and I really do enjoy doing this. But the minute I try to act like someone I’m not is the day I take this site down.
I would like to share with you some of the things I don’t care about. (I was originally going to use a profane term to hammer home my point but I figured as a future teacher that wouldn’t be a very good idea.)
I don’t care:
- if people think I post too many photos of myself in the mountains
- if my irregular posting schedule (on the blog and social media) doesn’t please people
- if my photos aren’t high enough quality
- if people find my yoga in the mountains poses staged, cliché, cheesy- I like them
- if I have typos or grammatical errors in my posts
- if I talk about running all the time but am actually a very terrible distant runner
- if my posts are too photo heavy (including this one)
- if my outfit isn’t cool or my hair and make up looks like crap or my pose is super awkward
- if PDA pictures with my husband make anyone uncomfortable
Bottom line- I DON’T CARE if something I do or say on my blog or social media displeases someone.
And THAT my friends is authenticity.
Oh also- if I don’t like a comment I delete it, I don’t post it. Not “authentic”? I don’t care.
Good post, Rach!! I love your awkward photos! 😉
Bah ha ha! Me too! I’ll see all these gorgeous styled photos of other bloggers and think “that is so nice! and so not me!”
Well said. I too don’t care about a lot of that stuff. I post what I want and people can read it or not. 🙂
Exactly! It’s your medium to share what you want, and if people don’t like it they don’t have to read it!
I loved this. And you. You’re one of MY fave blogs because you’ve always danced to the beat of your own drum and not given any f***s in the process!
xoxoxo
We weirdo’s have to stick together Jo! 😉
YESSS queen!! I cant believe the audacity of that bloggers “friend”, what an awful person. I really enjoyed this post. Keep on L.I.V.I.N.
Thanks Cat! Isn’t that an awful thing for a “friend” to say? I can’t even imagine!
What a great post! I agree. That comment was very inappropriate and unnecessary.
FYI I love your mountain photos.
Thanks Charlotte!! 🙂 🙂
LOVE this. Way to keep it real. 🙂