# Exploring the Authenticity of Our Online Personas
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Chapter 1: The Challenge of Self-Representation
Describing who I am can be quite the task.
Photo by Taylor Deas-Melesh on Unsplash
Are we truly the same individuals on social media as we are in our everyday lives? The answer often varies depending on the platform in question. Whether it’s Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Snapchat, or Medium, these platforms offer us the freedom to present ourselves in any manner we choose.
Given this freedom, it’s no surprise that mental health concerns are escalating, often linked to extensive social media use. Many individuals spend hours scrolling through feeds, liking images, sharing content, and producing their own posts to showcase to the world.
Like many others, I maintain private accounts where I share moments and photos primarily with friends and family.
Do I reveal my struggles during tough times? Absolutely not.
What do I post? Mostly pictures of family gatherings and vacations—nothing more. To be honest, I primarily use these platforms as a means to store my memories, despite knowing there are more efficient alternatives available.
Am I as genuine in person as I appear in my private social media profiles? Sometimes.
Who really appears happy and composed all the time? Certainly not me. I felt like a mess at least half the time, but you wouldn’t glean that from my photos.
Only my closest friends and family truly understand what I’m experiencing internally.
So, why not be completely authentic? There’s still a lingering sense of shame and stigma surrounding my experiences. My Facebook friends include my daughter’s dance instructors, some schoolteachers, and parents of her friends—people who are merely acquaintances due to my daughters' activities. I prefer to keep my personal struggles to myself.
While most of my audience consists of strangers who read my writing and view my social media, it feels as if I’m gradually dismantling my walls. Perhaps one day, I’ll be ready to share more about my private life. But, on the flip side, why should I if it makes me uneasy?
As mentioned, my close friends and family are aware of my reality, and I feel no need for my acquaintances to have the opportunity to judge me.
Does my personality align with what you might assume from my writing? That’s a tough question to answer. I often write as if I’m having an internal dialogue, yet my spoken words don’t always reflect that.
I've always struggled with verbal expression, often due to nerves or insecurity. Sometimes, this even creates challenges in conversations with my husband, especially during disagreements, which leads me to prefer typing out my thoughts instead. Occasionally, this method proves more effective for us.
However, I never pretend to be someone I’m not, particularly on Medium. My stories, even the wild ones, are based on real experiences—some of which I wish hadn’t occurred.
I’m a wife, a mother, and a writer, striving to be a genuinely nice person in my daily life. I have a challenging past, but I choose to lead a fairly simple life now. These online accounts were created for me to share authentically, without any façades. Perhaps this honesty will extend to my private accounts; only time will tell.
KEY MESSAGE: My personality remains consistent, even behind a screen, but I choose not to divulge every personal challenge publicly.
If my story resonates with you, consider becoming a member and subscribing to Medium.
Much love, Michele