In between doing bits of work I just scrolled through my Facebook feed and it suddenly dawned on me.
I'm suffering from a bout of Facebook-Induced-Life-Envy. For the purposes of this blog it shall we known as FILE (because that is also a word and looks quite cool I think).
You may recognise the symptoms - they include;
- A daily (or more often) desire to look at the inane goings-on of others despite having a to-do list as long as your arm
- Repetitive scrolling actions on PC/laptop/tablet/phone/any others I've missed out
- After a period of scrolling a general feeling of unease and dissatisfaction with one's life sets in
- Despite these feelings above process is repeated again in a matter of hours
I'll be honest - I'm not having the best day. I don't even know why. The sun is shining, I have a good job to go to every day, food in my cupboards and a loyal boyfriend coming home for a BBQ with me tonight. Life is good really. It's just one of those 'meh' days that I think we all get. Perhaps it's lack of sleep (too hot and still got a winter duvet on. Stupid). Or maybe it's those pesky girl hormones. I dunno. It's just one of those days. And I think a dose of FILE is a common occurrence on such days.
Here's a quick summary of what I can see on my Facebook newsfeed right now that is leading to a serious case of Monday-FILE ...
- Pictures of someone at a trendy work event who I perceive to be doing better in her career than me. And she looks good. Darn it
- A montage of photos from a Socialite- Facebook- Friend (SFF) who goes to all the best parties with her husband, rubs shoulders with the glitterati and just looks cool all the time. Like really cool
- Oh for god's sake - someone's just booked a holiday to America. Just pure jealousy really. Not going to lie
- A girl who's just announced she's having a boy! There is a LOT of baby chat on a post 30 year old's timeline isn't there? Like A LOT. Yeah - this has added to my FILE - for reasons that I might be brave enough to talk about in a blog one day. Maybe
- A check-in at a cool, hip London roof top bar. And I'm at home in erm, my sweaty third floor office slash spare room slash junk room. Guess I could call it 'rooftop'? Mmmm
- Ahhh a Witty-Facebook-Updater or a WFU. I wish I'd thought of that line. I long to execute the perfect witty update
- A picture of Rihanna's washboard stomach. Nuff said
- Ah yes there she is - thought I hadn't seen her for a few hours. The working mum who only wears designer clothes and looks amaaazing all the time. And updates us on her amaaazing wardrobe. My Primani shorts and H&M t shirt just don't really match up
See??!! See what I have to put up with? Do you understand my serious case of FILE on a Monday afternoon?!
I KNOW what sort of comments I will get from this blog, I can see them already in my envious, over thoughtful minds-eye ... things along the lines of;
'oh get over yourself'
'be grateful for what you've got'
'concentrate on your own life, not others'
Blah blah blah. Yeah, I hear ya. And I know all that. I am extremely grateful for my life. But I bet, even if you don't want to admit it to yourself, that there have been occasions when you've suffered a dose of FILE. It's par for the course of the interactive social media gauntlet that we all run every day. That's the very nature of Facebook and twitter. It's there for us to brag - so we rarely put pictures or statuses that make our lives look rubbish do we? We filter out the mundane dull stuff, and give our captive audience the bits that make us look good. And the result is - we make others feel rubbish sometimes. But when you're having a quick scroll through on a low day it's easy to forget that every update and picture you see has been carefully crafted and selected to make that person look a certain way, and it's too easy for FILE to kick in.
I know I certainly present myself in a way that I want others to perceive me. Pictures of me out and about hosting glamorous concerts in an appropriate glam outfit. Of course I'm not going to tell the truth about how I threw a huge outfit strop before the event - trying on EVERYTHING in my wardrobe and wailing to my other half that I look fat and have no clothes. Neither am I going to post the pictures of me cowering and shivering in a rigging truck backstage because it's pouring with rain and we don't get a dressing room coz we're only the lowly presenters. Of course I only post the good bits. Naturally.
So next time I get a case of FILE I will re-read this blog, and remind myself that there is no reason to give in to the life envy - because we are all playing the same game. And I want you to do the same, even if you're reading this and saying 'Erm - I've never had a bout of FILE' - because I just know you're fibbing!
Still wish I was at a rooftop bar though ....