I wrote a post a while back on the idea that “comparison is the thief of joy” that was spurred by something I saw on Kristen Armstrong’s Mile Markers blog. I posted excerpts from a great guest post on Carrots and Cake from Robin at the Balanced Life Online. She wrote a great post called “Comparison is the Thief of Joy: Thoughts on Social Media”. It always seems like (most) people show only the fun and good times on social media channels like Facebook. It is easy to feel envious or even left out when everyone is having fun or seems to be doing things you would like to do. I think (as Robin points out) that it is really easy to feel that everyone is achieving things that you are not and meeting their goals when only the “highlight” reel is showing on Facebook and Twitter.
I have written about social dieting and fitness apps, too, and mentioned that I do not use these for motivation . I even I stopped using online, community based trackers like Daily Mile (a site that shares running training with friends who you link to) because I found that I was always comparing (and often criticizing) my mileage, pace and workouts and forgetting that what matters is what works for me. (Note: If you are my friend on Daily Mile, I did use it to capture 43 miles in October for a friend of a friend’s family request to honor someone who passed away… and while I was there I found that I was looking at my friends’ times and distances, as always!) I also have a friend who consistently posts his (fast) running times on Facebook and calls them “easy.” Even though I can run similar times (sometimes), I find this to be boastful and unnecessary.
SHAPE and SheKnows.com have partnered to find out how Facebook, Pinterest, and other media channels affect people’s health, fitness, and body image. Do you share the details of your workouts or weight loss progress online, or is that TMI? Does social media help you stay on track with your diet and workout goals? They want to know! Share your thoughts here in this quick survey and you may be rewarded. Anyone who completes the survey will be entered to win a $250 American Express gift card.
It was interesting to think about the questions in this survey and the impact of publicizing results on what and how we share information. Take a look – you have to be in it to win it AND you could learn something about yourself in the mean time. I am looking forward to seeing the results of this survey and how I stack up!
What do you think about sharing results online using social media or in groups like Daily Mile? Inspiring? Defeating? Love it? Why bother?