One of my favorite fitness bloggers, MizFit Online, linked to a great post the other day, all about “Fakebooking.” (Is this a term that’s been around a while and I just learned it?). The gist of the post was that life is messy, yet on Facebook, we rarely see that truth. Rather, it’s all about the happy, shiny things that come our way. I’m going to venture a guess and say that this goes beyond one social media platform and encompasses our blogs, our tweets, and our Instagram accounts. Am I right?
The truth behind the Instagram smile
I try to avoid this phenomenon of “fakebooking” but if I take a good hard look, I can see where I might have put a bright new coat of paint on something and then posted it. Case in point? Monday’s 18-miler. I came home, shot a picture of my happy runner’s face and announced to Instagram that I had started off the week with that long run. Was I happy? Yes. But the truth is, that run wasn’t my best. My legs were tired and a few aches and pains seemed to make their way to the surface as they are wont to do this far into marathon training.
So there–that’s the truth behind that picture. I fall short in so many ways and just to clear the air, I’m going to share a few of my latest examples:
- I swore off sweets four weeks out from my marathon. Monday afternoon, however, I shoved two truffles down my throat. And they were good.
- The other night when Mr. Zippy was out of town, I thought I’d have a nice June Cleaver kind of moment with the kids. I popped some popcorn and had the kids pull out a game. Things started off well enough, but in no short order, the kids were throwing the game pieces at each other and I was yelling at them both to go straight to bed.
- The dog peed on the oriental rug the other day. I still haven’t done anything about it. I know, ewww!
- My daughter’s basketball team is having an end of year pizza party on Thursday and I haven’t told her about it because, frankly, I can’t stand the idea of sitting through a meal with a bunch of people I don’t know and making painful small talk.
And that’s just scratching the surface.
So tell me–do you ever sugar coat a post or a picture?
That was such a great article that Miz linked too. It’s true – there’s so much sugar coating and I’m totally guilty of it too. And your examples? LOVE them! I had that experience with my kids a few weeks ago when my husband was out of town. We were going to do movie night – total fail. And I totally wouldn’t tell about the pizza party either!!
Christine @ Love, Life, Surf recently posted..Not Fair
So right – no-one’s perfect despite the picture they paint! I have dusty mantelpieces and dirty floors (boys!), but that’s ok because running is a better time investment anyway
Sherry recently posted..Race Report: The Coastal Challenge
Thanks for being so candid. I do think it’s helpful to pull back the curtain and share with people that life is messy and sometimes hard. I know it can make me feel a bit encouraged to realize/remember, “hey other folks are dealing with stuff too”.
I’m one of the few people who’s not on facebook but I know when I tweet, I do think about what I say. I will post tweets that aren’t filled with fabulous shiny-ness, but I also try to be careful what I say and not subject other people to my venting (sometimes I pull it off, sometimes not). I guess it’s mixing honesty with privacy with choosing who I want to be and to present to other people/the larger world. I remember Dimity had a photo of a sign in an old Another Mother Runner post “Please take responsibility for the energy you bring into this space.” I try to keep that in mind. It’s also choosing what I want to focus my attention on – just like in the rest of life. (it’s a practice, don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying I’m the expert/best at it, just that I’m trying) Where do I want my attention to be, is whatever really so bad or so important, can I laugh it off or let it pass, isn’t there so much more good, do I really need to feed negative feelings by talking about them? (I know sometimes, one DOES need to talk about them or the situation) Believe me, I have not naturally been a Pollyanna in my life, but trying to be aware adn change my focus and behavior has been helpful to me and has made a difference in how I feel. (wow, that sounded preachy, didn’t mean it that way – sorry) If I ever get to blogging, not sure I’ll have quite the same approach, hard to say.
Completely off topic – love the long-sleeve shirt design (can really only see the sleeves) – can you tell me where you got it and when?
And swearing off sweets? Impressive. Have you noticed improvements in how you feel and running performance from doing so? I’m considering eliminating some things from my diet as well – crunchy snack foods (crackers, rice cakes, baked chips) are one possibility, sugar is another, though I don’t consume much.
Miz always nails things, huh? I’ve been guilty of sugar coating for sure. Posting IG pics after a snowy run that sucked but still having a smile on my face (I think I was smiling just because I was done!). Your examples are hilarious – I think I’ve done every single one of them this week.
Angela @ Happy Fit Mama recently posted..Eats From The Week 2
I think you’re right – but I guess this doesn’t bother/depress me as much as it depresses other people. Blogging/Facebooking/Tweeting all involve sharing some amount of your personal life in a public (or semi-public) realm – and I think sharing, or not, is each person’s right. Generally, I find more inspiration than discouragement in most forums – but If I find myself feeling bad by comparison – I close the window.
Personally…I try not to sugarcoat, but I’m sure it happens sometimes – maybe because I want to give a more favorable impression, or maybe just because I think some things aren’t really all that interesting. [Like, I have insurance paperwork that I was supposed to submit 3 weeks ago. And I'm trying to settle something with a bank overseas that keeps dragging on, and I'm procrastinating calling them. And I'm under orders to update my version of Microsoft Office, but I also haven't done that. And I might have eaten bread...dipped in olive oil...for lunch... OK, that last one will probably make it into the blog at some point!
]
Holly KN recently posted..Good Mornings For a Tuesday (Feb. 26)
Love MisFit blogging!
Fakebooking. New or not it’s a cool word. What I post isn’t so much to be fake or misleading. It’s my way of focusing on the positive. I spent more of my life than I care to admit focusing on the negative and being a glass is half empty kind of person. Plus, I assume people realize life isn’t perfect.
Jill @ Fitness, Health and Happiness recently posted..A Runner’s Guide to Exercise Induced Asthma
I try and tell the truth, but people don’t believe me when I tell them how my body aches and the legs won’t work and I had a crap race… no-body believes me!
Coach Dion recently posted..JUST HOW LONG IS A MARATHON?
I try to focus on the positive, though I do share when things aren’r rosy as well.
Kovas – Midwest Multisport Life recently posted..If Animals Ate at McDonald’s…
I try not to sugar coat my pictures, posts, status updates. If I don’t want people to know what is really going on, I don’t post about it. I have my daiy worries/struggles (like these pending gov’t furloughs) but I don’t put it on blast. I like to keep some things private.
Natalie recently posted..LOCK LACES Product Review
Hahaha I hate painful small talk…TORTURE! My cats litter box needs changing but I bet I don’t do it until tomorrow, since I quit my paleo challenge I have eaten three bags of jellybeans…shh my husband doesn’t even know we have had any.
haha that last one about the pizza party made me laugh…been there, with events for my hubby
Lindsay @ The Lean Green Bean recently posted..Weekly Eats 15
i only fake it till i make it with long runs, LOL! Life, it’s messy, and non predictable, and we’re human. Let’s embrace it. Well, maybe not the dog pee on the carpet.
lindsay recently posted..Sharing is Caring: Arbonne Sabrina
Ha! I’ve kept painful (to me) kids sports social things to myself a time or two. Plus I gave up the ‘candy drawer’ at work for lent but yesterday a coworker bought a full size Gertrude hawk chocolate bar and I made her give me a piece….and I could justify it because it wasn’t in the drawer. It was good.
I love that term ‘fakebooking’ and it’s new to me as well. I have friends though on FB that do nothing but complain and frankly I’d rather read the highlight reels. Deep down I think we all know that nobody’s life is picture perfect. If sugar coating is what they we want to project, I am not offended by that. One of the dogs made the king of all craps next to the bed last night and I stepped in it barefoot. I had to clean that one immediately. Now I’m tired.
Marcia recently posted..Sportline HR Monitor/Pedometer
Now see, THAT’S the kind of stuff I like to hear!!!! Honest. Candid. REAL. It makes me feel so much better about myself! LOL I posted a status update on FB not too long ago that read, “Am I the only one here that doesn’t have my shit together, or is everyone else just faking it?” hahaha Turns out, everyone IS faking it!
Pam recently posted..Here, have some bullets!
I think we all know that life sucks from time to time, just the way life is
. However, sometimes we have to remind ourselves and others that life doesn’t suck all the time and I would prefer to be positive almost to the point of being nauseating (yes I used a big word) most of the time.
If we dwell on the negatives, we become negative and little things set us off much more easily – so I will be realistic in my posts and such, but at the same time I will accentuate the positive whenever I can – knowing that we all know life can be a pain in the butt too.
Harold recently posted..A Veteran Runnah Blog Site
LOVE LOVE LOVE as, since I turned 40, Ive shed the filter and there be NO LIFECLEANSING HERE
Miz recently posted..Be your own self-care SUPERHERO.
Fakebooking? If the people you know on Facebook do that, you are LUCKY. All I get is self-created drama and chaos, which they then gladly post so that they can get the attention of OMG are you OK???
The Kidless Kronicles
Nicole@TheKidlessKronicles recently posted..And so I did….
Ha, I like this! I think we all do it and sometimes without knowing/thinking about it. People always think I run well and train well but I suffer a lot as well. I don’t get much sleep and have to get up very early to fit in my runs. Not all fun and roses! But I do live and love running and I am always in a super good mood. That is the truth.
Johann recently posted..The LSD Run
Like many people have already commented, I try and focus on the positive and remember that my blog/FB/twitter are MINE and my family hasn’t necessarily signed on for their lives to be for public consumption.
As far as posting about runs/rides/races, there is no sugar coating. As far as I’m concerned, there’s no value in blogging or talking about my running and riding if it’s not honest. Being able to go back and read about struggles I ended up overcoming is reassuring, and going back and reading about failures is motivating (Don’t think I haven’t reread my last year’s Dirty Kanza posts several times) bc I don’t want to keep making the same mistakes and having the same disappointments.
I think there’s as fine line between being honest, spilling all your dirty laundry, and being completely fake. I do know that people who are relentlessly negative stress me out, and people who are always ridiculously happy make me suspicious (if you’re always posting OMG I LOVE MY HUSBAND SOOOOO MUCH!!! I will assume you’re probably on the brink of divorce.
)
Kate recently posted..Weekend +
lol the dog peed comment made me seriously crack up!! i think we all sugar coat things on social media… i def do, at times. i don’t want to appear super whiney so i think that’s part of it and sometimes i think people don’t want to hear me complain. and sometimes “fake it til ya make it” helps put me in a better mood because it does help me appreciate what i do have and am blessed with. oh and ps: i’ve never heard the term fakebooking either lol
Linz @ Itz Linz recently posted..Cottage Pulp
I actually tend to not post a lot on social media (more of a lurker. Creepy, I know.) However, I’m guilty of a reverse effect. We have a lot of friends in CA who post these amazing Instagram photos of themselves on the beach, surfing, wine tasting, living the “good life.” I get a bit jealous and covet their lifestyle. An inside source tells me “you’re just seeing the cream that’s risen to the top.” It makes me feel like a dull workaholic. It makes me question the decisions I’ve made in life that have me working weekends instead of surfing in the California sun.
I guess what I’m saying is: sugar coated photos have a distinct effect that goes both ways.
Kinda the reason that I stopped using twitter and rarely use FB, I see all the “fakebooking” (you taught me that this morning, never heard of it before) I am too emotional to make a bad day and spin it off good. Sometimes I dont think (or read) what I am about to post. It just better for me to avoid it all together
Scott recently posted..Next Up – Base2
ok i am literally laughing out loud at the last one. That is one of the very reasons david explained to me yesterday he wasn’t ready for kids
Amanda @RunToTheFinish recently posted..IT Band School – Lunge Matrix for Recovery
I have been reading your blog for the past few months as well as some others and I have to say that was the most refreshing and realistic blog ever. It is great to see that I am not the only one, especially the part about the small talk with strangers
The dog pee comment made me laugh so hard. Love how honest you are! Truthfully, I would probably do the same thing if my dog peed on the carpet too. It would be one of those things that I would be aware of and maybe the husband would comment on it, but still expect me to clean it up…..
Tasha @ Healthy Diva recently posted..Race Recap: TriCities 1/2 Marathon
I try to be more positive than negative but usually when things are bad, I internalize and don’t always share things. I know on the blog, I tend to make things more positive than negative. I think its worth trying to be more real and not pretending everything is always ok. I do not like the people who are always REAL and everything is just horrible and tough and never perfect. Those ppl bother me and make me not want to be on facebook.
J recently posted..Too much Treadmill
Lol! I don’t have fb partially for this “fake” reason but I guess all social media can be sugar coated! But now you’ll really keep me thinking…
Marissa recently posted..And now I get it
There are many things I keep private as I don’t have to share everything…good or not so good.
Teddy Bear eats everything…like two of SuperFit’s shirts the other day. SuperFit posted the picture…no sugar coating lol
Kierston recently posted..WIAW: Mr. FUntastic Takes Over!
Oh god yes! If anyone says that they don’t, they are LYING! I think we all sugarcoat things, even if it’s just a little bit. I mean, I may say something about how tired my legs were during that run, but I will leave out the fact that I was hating the run from mile 2, or that I had butt chafe, or that I got sunburnt and that I don’t want to run again for at least a week. I love this post and am going to make a list of my own because sometimes I think we lose touch of who we really are with our online personalities.
Travel Spot recently posted..A Day in The Life: Finding Free Time
It is the sugarcoating that tends to leave us all wondering if we are the only ones who are struggling! We miss opportunities to say…”Wow this really sucks! Does it suck for you too!?” I tend to get just the right angle when taking pictures but reality for me is being overweight with baby weight. I feel a lot of times that I am the only one out there working my tush off and still looking like this 4 months out. The other mother bloggers seem to have lost the weight like nothing and are back to their previous speeds if not faster. I can’t be the only one struggling for speed and begging the weight to go away right?
Fancy Nancy recently posted..WIAW…Paelo 30 day Challenge
Lol sometimes!lately I’ve been way more honest and humble….I respect that out of others more so I have to do it too. I admit my mistakes and hope to inspire others who are working on training or weight loss as mistakes are part of the process, were only human!
Kat recently posted..Princess Half Weekend: The stay & meetups
Great post! It is very true, we ALL do it (whether you admit it or not). We post things because we want the world to see the highlight reel and not think we are one of those people who are complaining all of the time. But the fact is, no one is perfect, no one is happy all the time, and there is always a something laying underneath whatever we say and do.
My therapist once told me “Don’t compare your everyday life to someones highlight reel” and that really stuck with me. We all struggle in our own ways and have things going on that maybe no one knows about. People are apprehensive to post negative things because they don’t want to seem like a debbie-downer. When in reality, sometimes people need to know that there is someone else struggling out there with the same things as them.
Laura recently posted..Aerobic miles
hahahaha I LOVE YOU!!!!
Krysten Siba Bishop (@darwinianfail) recently posted..#WIAW – Cranberry Strudel Muffins
That was an awesome article. I think there’s a hard balance between fakebooking and being that annoying person who is always complaining about everything. Both are annoying and get very old after awhile…that’s why I try to stick to sarcasm, everyone loves sarcasm. Right?
Amanda recently posted..Running for the Long Term
Love the term–and it is so true. I tend to be pretty honest on fb—more so on twitter (because my family is not on twitter–and sometimes it is just easier to not put things in their eyes all the time)
This is SO true. Part of the reason I did the post on Monday about the long runs was for this reason – I felt that I often take a picture of me after a long run and I’m all smiles (as I should be – it’s OVER!)…but I realized that it’s giving the impression that I love every single moment of that long run. Which is 100% NOT true. There are always points during my runs where I hate it, question what I’m doing, and want to quit – it’s not all rainbows which is sometimes what I think my picture/tweet/IG smiley face portrays!
Thanks for being so honest and open. One of the reasons I love your blog=)
Michele @ Nycrunningmama recently posted..Ava & Liam Motivational Sign Giveaway
New term to me, also! I loved your sharing of “real” things!!! I also enjoyed all of the comments on this topic! I agree with a lot of people – I try to be positive in all areas of my life but I also like to be completely real & honest!
One thing I’ve noticed with blogging – when I’m having a super off day, it actually helps to write about it and not pretend that things are grand!
BTW – the game with your kids – been there so many times!!!
Kim recently posted..Using Muscles in New Ways…
I don’t always see it as “fakebooking” this is why… There are people out there that are real and there are others that are fake, being on facebook does not change this. When someone is fake all the time (which doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out) rather than feel envy or hate, I feel kind of sad for them, being authentic is a very free way of living, there are many who won’t like you for speaking your truth but oh well. You’re NOT fake, posting that picture on instagram does not make you fake, you did start your week out with a run, OK so it was tough, but still an awesome way to start your week! If someone thinks that someones else’s life is perfect based on facebook or anything else, then there lies the problem. We all have some kind of cat barf, molding laundry, fighting kids and finger prints in our lives, but who wants to hear about that on fb? PS: I admit, I’ve posted my cat barf on FB before… I think a few unfriended me, tee hee.
LisaM@RunWiki recently posted..Kyle’s Krusade Race Recap
Two truffles? Oh, you naughty girl!
I tend to post the happy things, both on Facebook and my blog, or put a bright twist on less happy things. But that’s the way I am in real life, an optimist who’s glass is half full. I have shared some challenges, but I am also careful because my husband’s comfort level with personal sharing is different than mine and I respect his right to privacy.
I did just finish a slow, sluggish, sucky run, but by the time I write about it, it will be “challenging.”
Debbie @ Live from La Quinta recently posted..What I’m Eating. Plus a Beefy Vegan Stew Recipe
This post made me laugh:) Especially the pee comment. I have done that with cat throw up before. She always would throw up in the office and that door was always closed, so I was in no hurry. I hear you on the team parties. Yes, I agree that people like to show the good and skip the “bad” and the “ugly”. I try to be pretty honest about things on my blog, but my instagram pictures usually are only about good stuff. Great post!
rachelle q (hikermom) recently posted..Does This Mean I Don’t Have to Vacuum?
I think it goes beyond just FB – it’s on twitter and blogs too. People never want to admit the negative stuff. It’s always puppies and rainbows. I really try to be honest always. I don’t want to be a Negative Nelly mind you, but if I’m having a crappy day, I don’t pretend that it’s perfect. I think it’s so easy to just post happy, smiling pictures on FB and then everyone assumes everything is perfect. I love my dogs dearly but curse them each morning if I step in pee. I’m rambling now so I’ll stop. LOL
Ha, ha, thanks for this! I’m sure we all feel a bit more “normal” now. ;0)
Andrea recently posted..Bike Fitness
Oh my gosh!! You’re human!!
I can’t even tell you how much I love this post!! It is so true, we highlight the good stuff and fail to mention the stuff we aren’t so proud of. I think I do it because I don’t want to focus on the negative, but now that I see how happy this post made me, I may have to share some of my dirty little details with the world.
Kate @ So Cal Runner Gal recently posted..Accepting My {Runner} Self
Ha. I post a lot of the “bad stuff” online and then get harassed for being imperfect. I guess you can’t win.
katie recently posted..snow puppies
Amen. And Amen. I might not have heard the term “Fakebooking” but if I had a nickle for each time I’ve seen the same wife post every single day that her husband is the finest man on earth, only to learn in real life they sleep in separate rooms and loath each other. I gave up Facebook for lent and don’t think I’m going back. I went through this with my bog though lately, you know though. When I started IM training all I ever read about were the “success” stories and how everyone lived and trained happily ever after. It’s just not accurate. My goal now is to be as real as possible. I think people can appreciate that so much more. Thanks for the post today!
Coy recently posted..And then I felt old….
Newsflash: Life is oh so messy and imperfect!
Thank you!!
Adrienne recently posted..What Makes a Good Runner?
Ha! This made me laugh so hard. I try very hard not to “Fakebook” it simply because I’m pretty sure people can see right through me. 90% I feel disorganized, hanging on to organization by a string and quite frankly just outmatched. And part of why I read the bloggers that I do is that I feel like I can relate or want to relate to them.
This post just made me say..Amen!
Welcome to my world.
Katie @momslrb recently posted..Not a day goes by..
LOVE this post! Thanks for your honesty! I can confidently say that we all have our little ‘things’ that we don’t share with everyone and it’s refreshing to see others aren’t perfect! It’s hard to admit sometimes it’s definitely worth knowing we’ve all been there!!
Kelly @ Laughter, Strength, and Food recently posted..No Work + Protein Pancakes
Bad dog!
Loved this post, though. Yeah, sometimes we like to only tell the good but I don’t think we need to reveal ALL of ANYTHING!
Guilty..I’ve done that before. Usually more of an omission of things not going as well. I have a post I need to write to update everyone on my training that will make up for it though!
Heather @ Better With Veggies recently posted..One Word Wednesday On the Snow
Ah, this post came at such an interesting time for me in light of a conversation I had last night with a friend. Lots to say. MIght end up in a blog post. This post has me thinking all sorts of things. Really, a big one is that we really can’t win entirely in this world. There are always going to be people out there who want to criticize others…You’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t. There are people who want to point out that people are too real or perky or that they post too much or too little. Then there are people that are scared to even use facebook at all because they are too uncomfortable showing any part of their life to the world. I happen to believe that I’m real on facebook and my blog. At least I try to be. I try to share my world as it comes. This doesn’t mean that I always dish every little detail of my personal life or gripe, bitch, and moan as much as I feel like doing some days. But it does mean that I don’t say that I’m super happy or try to paint a happy picture when I’m Not happy. If others want to think that about me (because overall, I AM a really happy person who is madly in love with my husband and my life most of the time…), then that’s their issue I suppose. Truthfully, we all tend to show our happier stuff on social media…but that doesn’t make it fake. IN fact, focusing on our happiness and gratitude and good parts of our life is part of focusing on the stuff we want more of. This is different from people who just try to make their life look perfect (GAG me) but these people are pretty easy to see through and bummer for them…what a sad way to live life…to only feel like you can share what you think others will think as a perfect “have all my crap together and never make mistakes” person. But overall, I think most people really do have good intentions of trying to show their smiles and happy parts in a sometimes hard life. And I think most people crave being authentic and having others do the same even though social media as a whole can be something people feel insecure to be a part of..because no matter what, there is always going to be someone out there that says:
You’re faking
You’re too negative
You annoy me
You make me feel like less
I’m jealous of you
You post too much
You’re just trying to make yourself look like a better mom than you are
But I guess if we are going to use social media, it comes with sharing space with others and we don’t get along with everyone all the time. So, it comes down to being true to ourselves, living with authenticity (for me) and trying (although it is hard to do) not care what others think. But we’re lying if we say we can do this all the time. We are all human beings in this world craving connection and interaction. Whether we are too positive or too negative or just the right dose of real, we are putting ourselves out there in some way and there will always be people that resonate and people that want to criticize.
Thanks for the thought provoking post today Amanda. Your words struck a cord with me. Ha!, can you tell? I loved reading the comments too.
hahaha, I love this! By no means am I the picture perfect image… my house is a mess, sure my meals are always a priority but the dishes aren’t. We have a stack of laundry that has yet to be folded from Saturday and I am just waiting for my husband to man up and take charge. I do the same with running picts too… always looks great, rarely feels as great!
Taylor @ LiftingRevolution recently posted..Do You Have The 4 D’s It Takes To Hit Your Goals?
Holy Moly, I really did write a blog post! Sorry for such a long comment!!
Wait? Girl Scout Cookies aren’t a food group? *fail*
We’re all a bit guilty of that. The thing is getting the balance right. I hate posting about negative stuff all the time because I’m sure no one will read it after a while. And I find if I put a positive or humorous spin on something that’s not so great I get a better perspective on it.
I just love that you haven’t cleaned the carpet. It makes my housekeeping shortfalls seem not so bad.
Char recently posted..Teaching This Old Dog New Tricks
I avoid going to my kids’ activities for the exact same reason and oh my, loved how your family night ended. While people do tend to hide the bad stuff on Facebook and Twitter, I am happy for that, because I look to these outlets as entertainment and I really really don’t want to hear more negative things. I have enough drama in my life, I will take their fake happiness.
Robin recently posted..The Expense of Triathlons
Fake booking – so true. I’m also a fan of the quote that goes something like, “Don’t compare your internal life to others’ external life.” I do my best to be honest, and I think I’m fairly successful at that. Although, just the other day someone told me they had “put me on a running pedestal.” Ha! That got me thinking about how I present my running.
Laura recently posted..Reflections on a Year: Moving on
LOL I love this. SOOOOO many blogs are happy happy joy joy and we all know it’s far from the truth. People don’t like to show flow. It’s sad, I find imperfection way more interesting than reading paragraphs of crap. I guess that’s why I blog all about mu injuries etc… bc it’s the reality.
thanks for sharing
Kristy (@KristyH5) recently posted..I Took Your Advice
I got nothing – all rainbows and unicorns over on my little slice of the interwebs (-;
Jeff Irvin recently posted..Yeah, that was Stupid …
THANK YOU for Posting this! Especially about your daughter’s basketball game pizza party
When my son was playing baseball, I would time my long runs so I’d arrive about 30 minutes before it was over… watching little league is painfully boring to me, but I got to see my kid make some great plays and everyone was happy! I try to be pretty honest about my running life on my blog, but I actually don’t want to share (or read) too much negativity… I feel like there’s enough of that in the world and in the news. Blog time for me is my happy time 
Though I do appreciate the running blog community for it’s supportiveness when folks are having a tough time or dealing with an issue.
GreenGirlRunning recently posted..GUber
I think you have to sugar coat most of the time. Most of us have a lot of stress in our lives and when we visit blogs, facebook, …social media, it’s probably to read things that make us smile and de-stress. At least that’s the way it is for me. If I read too much of “hard times”, it brings me down. I can listen to the news for that.
I like hearing about all the positives in peoples lives, knowing full well that no one’s day is perfect but it makes me feel better to read about all the successes, conquering challenges, and good things in life.
Joanne recently posted..At Tempo and Chickpea and Red Chard Soup
Hehe. I love your post. (Now, what did you edit out?)
We all put up an edited front, and different fronts – whether it’s at work with colleagues, at track with the running group, on Facebook, on blogs, on Twitter…there’s always some kind of image you want to portray of yourself.
I wouldn’t worry about it – I think people realise that it’s an edited version of you…when they are paying attention at all. (Just last night my husband and I were laughing about his brother and sister-in-law’s Facebook photos and videos of our 1-year-old nephew – how he’s always Mr Sunshine in them, but no toddler can POSSIBLY be smiles and sunshine 24/7!)
Grace recently posted..In which my immune system fights off some invaders, and a few surprises
Yes! It is so easy to just gloss over the hardships of life. Sometimes life is just hard!
When I had my blog going, I tried to keep it real because my blog was about my training and it wasn’t perfect and it wasn’t always fun. On Facebook, I definitely trend toward funny, happy things, though the occasional rant about work comes up on there. If I’m depressed or angry, though, I generally think a chat with a live friend or my husband works better than a Facebook post. I don’t mind people highlighting the good stuff on FB, but what I do hate is bragging, about yourself, your kids, your running etc. We all know the difference between happiness and bragging….or at least I thought so before Facebook.
so funny-i often think this about fb-and here comes my snarky-i always see the baby pics, the wedding pics, the wonderful life, blah blah and then the quiet last name change. obviously contradicting. i think that social media has put an emphasis on the positive that people are afraid to be “real”. i will admit though, i’m usually a straight shooter and you get what i feel. if i don’t feel like posting the perfect pic, tweet, fb post, blog- you won’t get it. but i’m sure sugarcoat here and there-just can’t think of anything now.
elizabeth recently posted..Second Opinions
Ummmm, I sugar coat everything
When I started blogging I wanted to be authentic. I wanted people the see the mess and realize
A. I don’t have super powers and they to can be a ball dropper and a runner, just like me!
B. it’s ok to be a ball dropper once and a while and being a runner helps keep you sane when it does happen.
But I think somewhere I forgot to talk more about my kids,my piled up laundry, dirty dishes and crappy runs.
I don’t want to be a Debbie downer ya know?
I need some balance in my blog.
It is articles like that that help me refocus and stay on track so I appreciate the kick in the pants. Thank you.
Great post!
Missy recently posted..Double Peanut Bars
I am cracking up right now! I love this! My favorite is when I push the trash on the floor out of the way so I can take a blog picture. You would think I would at least pick it up and throw it away.
Yo Momma Runs recently posted..One-day tour of Birmingham
Haha, I love your examples. This definitely rings through for me… it’s a tough balance because when people share difficult things on Facebook it can come across whiny or pouting or generally negative…. yet I agree that positive-only is not helpful for anyone. I think this highlights some of the risks and downsides of social media as communication…. we can’t be completely “real” – we shouldn’t depend on it for too much. We still need our face to face friends!
Laura @ Mommy Run Fast recently posted..Why I Run: No Excuses
yes, yes, yes! great post!
i try to keep my blog very honest (you can’t sugar coat race recaps sometimes!) and i hate reading running blogs where everything is going 100% smoothly all the time. we all know that is not the case — every train for a marathon where every run was rainbows and unicorns?!?!
Kristy@RunTheLongRoad recently posted..Brooks PureCadence
Ha ha … love this post! I think we can all use a dose of “confessions” now and then to keep us all on the same page. Facebook is definitely a beast of its own. I’ve been lately a bit tired of it myself and am trying to stay off of it more. I don’t get that much enjoyment out of it and most of it gets dicey at times, making for some non-happy moments. Blech! I wrote a post of my own in honor of yours here
Christina recently posted..Runner problems
I sometimes feel like there’s a fine line between giving an unedited or much less edited version of things and being a debbie downer on social media — including Facebook and blogs. I have tried to be realistic, though. I’ve posted about my dog’s debilitating separation anxiety and my struggles on the academic job market. At times, though, I’ve just kept silent when I feel like I don’t have much of anything good to say or any pretty pictures to share.
Raquelita recently posted..Scenes From a Winter Run
Ha! I especially appreciated the last bullet point you made.
Let’s see? How have I sugar coated something recently? I wrote about a missing dog we found yesterday and kept it simple, but truth was, 1. the owners didn’t know their dog was missing and 2. the poor thing was badly malnourished and freezing cold/shaking because it was 18*F outside at the time. Broke my heart.
Efo recently posted..Dog Tags and Collars, The Importance of
Love your honesty in this post and actually clicked over from Mommy’s Little Running Buddy! I’m writing a post tomorrow on “mistakes I make” and link you, so make sure to check it out. It’s always nice to read that we are human, in this crazy fitness/health world.
XOXO
She Rocks Fitness recently posted..Work It Off Wednesday #3
I saw that post from MizFit and love it and that term “fakebooking!” Appreciate your confessional – especially the last bullet. Nothing worst than trying to make small talk with random parents from the team. Done it and vowed never again!
Michelle @ Running with Attitude recently posted..Running and eating
I think when I fakebook it’s more being overly negative and frustrated than I really should be. Good to keep things in perspective sometimes even when the love for drama can try to take over!
Liana@RunToMunch recently posted..2013 Hyannis Marathon Race Recap
I sugar coat my life: post the more flattering pic, share the great runs, talk about our creative and fun family moments. The very presence of social media in our lives heightens our awareness of “others,” what they are doing, what they are thinking, what they are buying, what they are wearing, what their kids are doing/achieving. Social media creates a platform, even invites us to compare ourselves with others. So we compare and feel pride or we compare and feel discouraged. What we post we post to garner a response. Our personal approach to social media determines it’s affect on our lives, it can be a positive, powerful tool or it can steal the joy that our life has to offer. It is a fine balance, one that needs constant assessment. Your post is a great reminder of this. Thank you!
Sarah @RunFarGirl recently posted..I Wish I Hadn’t Run During Pregnancy
I just learned this term too–I feel like I see this a lot on instagram and FB! You are too funny! It’s hard to be so honest on our social media platforms, but we are human!!
Jess @ Blonde Ponytail recently posted..Group Fitness from a Pregnant Instructor?
It is surprisinghow many people post on social media sites for other people to comment and make them feel better. I always see people putting there running times as statuses and i always think this site is not for that. Crazy.
Peter recently posted..What Do the Penomet Reviews Really Say?
Totally agree with the last couple of comment. Social media has become too big too fast for the wrong reasons and some people are abusing it.
Debbie recently posted..Is Lifecell Wrinkle Cream The Best?
I do enjoy the social media a little but think children should only be allowed on it at certain times. They are missing out on outdoor activities and their health will go down. x
Kathleen recently posted..Prevera Reviews – Read This Before Buying!
Social media is a big no no for me. Growing up I was always told to play outside when the sun is shining. I still do the same now but I run instead of play. Social media is ruining this for the kids.
Sam recently posted..Should You Buy Super Beta Prostate At Walmart? – Take The Free Trial Instead
Another great post. Social media is amazing when used in the correct way but for me it is just a distraction.