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  1. The CutEvie Ebert4/22/205 min
    44 reads12 comments
    9.0
    The Cut
    44 reads
    9.0
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    • kurpels3 years ago

      My set up is difficult. 900 square feet. A husband, 3 sons, and 3 cats. But we have WiFi. Netbooks for them all. A little back yard. And grit. This is hard. But we’re alive and well.

      • bill
        Top reader of all time
        3 years ago

        I was one of three boys. Middle child. I just imagined being locked up with my brothers as kids. Mother of God!

        • joanne3 years ago

          I think it would have taken a lot of grit. (Live that word, thanks kurpels). I think it would be fun when my kids were small, teenagers? Yikes!

      • Abarlet3 years ago

        I think the irony is that one day in the future we may all look back at this time and appreciate how it forced us to be together.

    • Alexa3 years ago

      Yikes. This is 100 reasons to delete your social media right here. Swimming in resentment over the curated "perfect" life of your "friends"? EEEEEK.

      I used to get resentment, jealousy, body insecurity....all those fun friends, from staring at perfectly photoshopped, curated images on social. Funny thing is, when you kick the social habit it seems to evaporate. I no longer care who's cooler, fitter, thinner, prettier...whatever, because I'm not comparing myself. This just seems, unhealthy, to wallow in resentment so deep.

      • bill
        Top reader of all time
        3 years ago

        So true. In addition to everything you described, I also noticed that when I kicked the social media habit I also stopped wanting so much stuff. Could be other factors too, but it was pretty stark. In my mid 20s I was on social all the time and I remember keeping "stuff to buy" lists in my journal - shoes, electronics, etc. More recently, I lost the consumerist appetite.

        • Alexa3 years ago

          yes, this is real. Although that is also why I can't subscribe to the lithub blog. I LOVE it, but my "to be read" pile grows to fast.

          I'm with you @joshw on curating the best experience. It's two part, I have amazing friends I'd love to see on there, and great influencers, but even then the time I spent in my feed looking at beautifully curated photos was time I wasn't spending on other avenues & hobbies. It's a tradeoff either way.

        • joshw3 years ago

          interestingly enough, when i returned to social medias, i simply curated my list based on things like sex and body positivity hashtags, coffee, locations i want to travel to, and uplifting folks. the thing is, there are plenty of good ways to curate a feed, it’s just not happening automatically if you’re in the wrong frame of mind. go on instagram and search #shibaholics or #bodyposi and you’ll see there is much non-jealous joy to be had. i totally empathize this article and these comments. but i’m wary to blame the app for everything when my own attitude and mindset are part of the problem. people like gary vaynerchuk, dave asprey, david chang, and abhash jha. they’re all out there putting out good stuff that would feed your healthy mindset. so of course blame the apps for what they do, hacking your dopamine drip line and such, but get some self-awareness, too. deploy empathy for others and yourself, get good input from all your available sources (books, social apps, friends, family, etc), and take some responsibility for the choice you have of which thoughts to identify with. love you all! and enjoy your yard for me if you have one...i’m jealous 😘

    • thorgalle
      Top reader this weekScoutScribe
      3 years ago

      It's so double, social media. Whatever you put out there might either help and inspire, or cause resentment. And not because you put it out there, but because the viewer didn't necessarily want to see it.

      As an antidote, I indulge in a soothing practice of something approaching anti-gratitude.

      Under a stay-at-home order until further notice, it feels like we’re living the same day over and over.

    • Pegeen
      Top reader this weekReading streakScoutScribe
      3 years ago

      Our culture is comparison crazed and social media just serves it up on a silver platter. No thanks. The quality of my life is determined by what I chose to focus on - and that’s the natural beauty that surrounds me. From this, I create art in all areas of my life that feeds my soul. And those in my family and circle of friends - real friends, not strangers inside rectangles!

    • jbuchana3 years ago

      I only had one friend on social media who curated her life into something that seemed perfect, always time to cook incredible meals, always fun trips, everything great at work, great times with perfect kids, everything so totally perfect. I unfriended her...

    • turtlebubble3 years ago

      Pretty honest and fun read